Sukiyaki Season 1
by BlueBow
Summary: After serving under Dio in the hopes of getting a lead on her missing brother, Suki Kanao hears of a stalwart group of five heroes on their way to rid the world of his evil presence. This is the story of the journey to Cairo through the eyes of that girl, and the events she experiences alongside the Stardust Crusaders.
1. Prologue - Showtime

**WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by another warning right beforehand, and another line right where the explicit scene ends. You have been warned. With that out of the way, let's get right into it!**

* * *

 _The South China Sea! A marginal body of water in the Pacific Ocean, which encompasses an area of around 1,400,000 square miles, from the Karimata and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan. Strategically, it is a very important sea, as more than thirty percent of the world's shipping passes through it, fisheries critical to the food security of millions in Southeast Asia are contained within it, and it is rumored that enormous oil and gas reserves lie beneath the seabed._

Situated upon this sea was a seemingly inconspicuous oil freighter, and at the bow of this ship...stood one lone girl, alongside an orangutan.

"I really hope we haven't missed them…" the youth mused, looking to her left to see if that garnered any reaction from the ape beside her. With a sigh, she lowered the telescope she had been using. On reflex, her hand went to her amulet that always rested around her neck, underneath her short periwinkle shirt.

The centerpiece of the necklace, the star-shaped pendant, always comforted the girl, her eyes softening as they traced the ten cream-colored wide sides of the figure, settling upon the yellow-green middle that always seemed to glow faintly. Turning the object over in her hand and placing the telescope on a small chair she had brought out, she grasped the small knob on the back with her now free hand and began to turn it. An innocent tune began to play from the amulet. The girl smiled, as she reminded herself that her plan _would_ succeed, and that she _would_ find her brother. She closed her eyes in reminiscence, as she once again pored over the last conversation she had had with her "master."

* * *

"Lord Dio, a word, if you would so honor me," The words felt like bile in her mouth as she retained her subservient expression, head bowed. The large behemoth of a man looked behind his shoulder at the kneeling girl, his face cloaked in the dark, curtained room.

"Proceed."

"I propose that I also join the other Stand users in intercepting the group of heroes that is advancing here."

A pause.

"And exactly _what_ would that accomplish, my dear?"

"I am afraid I do not understand, Your Eminence."

The girl heard footsteps as his bare feet came into her view.

"I assume your abilities have not expanded beyond the supportive capabilities of your Stand, which you displayed when you first came to serve me. Am I correct?"

"…You are correct, Lord Dio."

The sound of footsteps began to be heard in other areas of the girl's periphery, as she assumed Dio was pacing around her.

"If I remember correctly, you are proficient enough with a blade and especially with the staff and knife, but, apart from that, your combat abilities are rather average. And if you wished to support the other Stand users who have already left to intercept the Joestars, you would have spoken up earlier." The shuffle of skin on brick ceased as Dio's feet once again came into view of the kneeling youth. She shivered as she felt his breath on the back of her neck, as he had leaned down to murmur in her ear.

"So I ask, my child, exactly _what_ do you plan to accomplish?"

The girl took a deep breath and responded, just as she had rehearsed so many times before.

"Milord, I can only humbly ask, please, hear me out."

"Go on."

"My abilities may not be of use on their own; however, they would be of use to another, more offensively-based Stand user, or a group of them."

"I am already aware of this."

"What if I were to join the Joestars, as a false insurgent, and lead them to you?"

The silence that followed weighed like anvils on the girl's ears, as she pensively waited for Dio's answer to her plea. Finally, he spoke.

"I have been grappling with the idea of fighting the Joestars myself for many a day now. As much as Enyaba and my other followers would have them dealt with before they even saw my castle, I cannot help but feel that my destiny is to meet the descendants of this body on the battlefield. I _long_ to see their battle prowess, but, at the same time, a small, almost insignificant part of me attempts to warn me that a chance _does_ exist, microscopic as it may be, that they will prevail over me. Do you understand the conundrum with which I am faced?"

The youth swallowed thickly before she responded, "Honestly, I do not feel I could ever understand. My strength is nowhere near the heavenly plane which yours inhabits, and, even if I were to approach that level of power, I would never be able to collect enough loyal followers who would worry so much about my own safety."

"Indeed, you wouldn't."

"However, who is to say you cannot have it both ways?"

…

"I'm listening."

"The Stand users who have already been dispatched could act not only as roadblocks, but also as tests for the Joestars and their party. If the Joestars were to fall to one of the Stand users placed along the route to Cairo, then we would know that they were not even worthy of being mud for you to walk on."

Silence.

"Does this idea sound appealing to Lord Dio?"

Deafening silence.

"Lord Dio?"

After what seemed like millennia, the girl heard a dark chuckle come from the man above her, evolving into a haunting cackle that bounced off the walls, ringing through her ears as Dio stood over her, holding his stomach in his own overwhelming laughter.

"Why, that idea sounds brilliant! I cannot believe no one came to such a satisfying conclusion earlier! Ha ha ha!" The vampire wiped tears from his eyes and cleared his throat, eventually regaining his composure, "There is just one problem, however…"

The girl did not respond. Her expression showed no sign of her true startled nature as Dio crouched to her level and placed a hand on her head, slowly trailing it down her cheek to her chin, lifting her head up with a finger. As his piercing red eyes burned into her soft browns, he leaned forward, stopping an inch from her lips, and he spoke, his voice no louder than a whisper, yet carrying the sound of five clock towers ringing in tandem.

"What reason do I have to trust you with such a mission?"

The girl sat frozen under his fiery gaze, willing herself not to look away or move, for the second she did, his trust in her would waver. The darkness of the room bore down on the youth, suffocating and claustrophobic, as she felt her face heat up from only bearing witness to the fire behind Dio's eyes. Time seemed to be frozen in this shadowed sauna, as the girl desperately tried to slow her rapid heartbeat and keep her breathing constant, no matter how much she wanted to gasp for air.

What was only a few seconds pause felt like a few hours as the youth finally reclaimed the words she had spoken in the mirror so many times for this moment.

"In terms of having anything concrete to display which represents my unyielding devotion to you, I have nothing. However, if I may present an action to represent my faith, I will not disappoint you."

Dio continued to search the girl's eyes for any signs of her heart faltering for a few seconds more before finally rising and stepping back.

"You may rise and perform your action."

The youth nodded and stood, betraying the shakiness of her legs, ignoring every urge to collapse from his overwhelming presence. With no hesitation, she reached under her shirt and pulled out her pendant. She looked at it with a blank expression.

"This is a gift that my brother gave to me, before he left. It is my most prized possession; however, I have no need for it, since I have found immense joy in my devotion to you."

"Why have you held on to it for this long then, if it had lost all meaning to you?"

"I held on to it in case I needed to display my devotion to you, such as at this moment," With that, the girl ripped the amulet off of her neck, chain and all, threw it to the ground, and crushed it with the heel of her boot. She looked up to see a pleased, menacing grin twist Dio's lips up. The man walked over to the girl, placing a hand on her cheek, rubbing her cheekbone with his thumb.

"You never disappoint, Miss Kanao."

"I have no need for such a trivial item. Your approval is all this humble servant requires to continue on this mortal coil."

Dio hummed in approval before turning away from the youth, walking back to his bed.

"You are dismissed. I will have the stand user Forever meet you in one day's time, at the entrance to your suburb. Be ready when he meets you there."

"As you wish, Milord."

* * *

The musical amulet that sat in the girl's possession was the only one of its kind: the only music-box star pendant, that she knew of. She had asked a friend back in her Cairo suburb to create a replica of the object in case an opportunity to showcase her loyalty arose. Of course, she only asked knowing such a task was no challenge for her friend.

Knowing the journey would be long, the youth returned to her Cairo suburb to bid her mother and friends farewell and make final preparations. She decided to say goodbye to her close friends first, since she knew her mother would not be arriving home until later that evening. After chatting for a spell with one of the two people she called friend, with some jealous remarks about how she would get to go on a journey, and visiting the house of her other friend, only to discover that she had gone to visit her father in Singapore, she departed for her small abode.

The desert winds rushed through the girl's hair as she ran home, determined to get her packing done before her mother arrived. Finally coming to the entrance of her house, she faltered upon seeing the windows were open. Hoping that her mother had just left them open and forgotten to close them before she went to work, the youth stepped up to door, unlocked it, threw it open, and proclaimed loudly that she was home. A spark of hope lit up inside of her, only to be snuffed out by her mother emerging from the kitchen. The two women locked eyes and paused, slowly coming to terms with the early presence of the other. After a moment, the mother smiled warmly.

"Welcome home, Suki."

"…Hi, Mama."

Ms. Kanao came up to her daughter and embraced her tightly. Pulling back from the hug, she looked Suki up and down before speaking again.

"Have you gotten taller?"

"Oh, well, uhm…"

Suki was taken aback, hoping that this was untrue. She knew she had taken the necessary precautions to keep her figure constant, and yet-

"Well, come on in, dear! I guess I'll be making dinner for two tonight then."

Ms. Kanao ushered her daughter into the room before walking back to the kitchen. As she walked to the counter that looked into that room, she noticed her mother's gait appeared to be tense. Ms. Kanao turned to the cutting board and resumed her work, cutting up cabbage leaves, allowing Suki to see her mother's face in a better light. The presence of crow's feet and faint bags under her mother's eyes concerned the daughter, especially since Suki knew her mother wouldn't need to work as hard to feed only one mouth in the absence of herself and her brother.

"You look well enough. I assume he's been taking good care of you, then?"

The question was asked with no emotion.

"Well, he does need his servants to be in good health to serve him."

Ms. Kanao only nodded and continued cutting the vegetables. After a moment, Suki noticed the ingredients that had been strewn about the kitchen, and the distinct aroma of udon.

"So, did you know I was coming home tonight, or…?"

Ms. Kanao looked up at Suki with a small smirk. "I was craving sukiyaki, but I would've made it for you regardless."

"Y-you wouldn't have to do that, Mama…"

Her mother turned back to the greens as she spoke, "I know you're working hard for us, sweetheart. It's the least I could do."

Suki swallowed thickly. What she was about to say would only worry her mother more, but she couldn't lie to her about this.

"I'm only staying overnight."  
The sound of sharp metal on wood stopped abruptly, but Ms. Kanao did not look up at her daughter.

"Dio said… that Big Bro was just out doing fieldwork, but after he's been gone this long with no word back…" Clenching her fists, the girl took a deep breath and looked up at her mother, whose head was stilled bowed over the board, "The Joestars are on their way to take Dio down as we speak. I'm going to join them and get the answers I want out of him."

"And what if he doesn't give you those answers?"

"Y-you don't know that he won't."

"Suki." Ms. Kanao finally looked up at her daughter, her eyes fiery, betraying the age her remaining facial features expressed, "You remember that story Great Grandma Ellie told you, about her encounter with Dio, and all the other stories she told about him?"

An unassuming housemaid for the Joestars, Eleanor Gold was witness to the ultimate rejection Dio Brando gave to his humanity when he donned the stone mask caked in the blood of George Joestar. After fleeing from the burning mansion, her only sources of information on the former gentleman were Jonathan and his close associates. She never heard a tale about the man that ended well for all involved. Combining these stories with her prior knowledge, Ellie would never fail to mention that the strongest trait he had was his pride. Dio would never admit to someone being stronger, smarter, _better_ than him, even if evidence of what he failed to grasp stood in front of him. Even when reduced to a severed head in a jar, he only admitted to respecting Jonathan for his strength and wit, unwilling to entertain the idea that he had been bested. As the two seemingly shared their last moments together, Dio proved that the notion that he had ever been bested was a mere fantasy, as he continued to struggle against the fate that so desperately attempted to silence him.

Of course. Dio was a prideful monster, who took every opportunity to fight back against any threat. He would never fess up like a gibbering idiot, even if a gun was pressed to his temple, because, in the time it took to force information out of him, he would already have ensnared his oppressor. The odds of the naïve girl getting what she wanted out of such a creature were unfavorable, and yet Suki had jumped at the chance to gain information like a starved detective.

"I'm as torn up as you are, about Kyuu leaving with no word back. But sometimes, you just have to accept that people _will_ walk out of your life, without looking back."

"But, Mom, he wouldn't have left because he wanted to! I know he wouldn't have chosen to leave us because… because he loves us! This is different from when Dad and Aoi left, they _wanted_ to live somewhere else!"

The words were out of her mouth before she could think them through. Ms. Kanao's eyes widened as her daughter's statement sunk in. Her eyes dropped to the cutting board, as she laid the knife down and pressed her hands flat on either side of the wood.

"It…wasn't just that."

Suki tilted her head to the side, confused.

"I…I never told you all of what happened." Ms. Kanao closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked into the innocent brown irises of the girl across from her.

"Have you ever thought about why Kyuu looks so different from you and Aoi?"

A muscular, dark-skinned, black-haired man with a wide grin and blue eyes emerged among the cesspool of thoughts in Suki's mind. This image starkly contrasted the lean, paler-skinned, brown-haired, brown-eyed figures of Suki and Aoi; however, Suki never questioned this fact. All she cared about was enjoying the relationship she had with her brother.

"That boy… He's your _half_ -brother. He isn't the son of your father."

Ms. Kanao bit her lip and took another deep breath, damming the floodgates in her eyes as much as she could.

"Steve left…because I betrayed him…And he took Aoi with him…" Tears began to flow down the sunken cheeks of Suki's mother, as she continued to explain, "We had tried to work past my mistake. We had you both, but that was never enough to fix what I'd done. Eventually, he just…couldn't live with me anymore. So, he left." Her voice wavered as she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. Despite her best efforts, tears continued to fall.

"I just…don't want to be left alone…"

Neither of them spoke. The heaviness of the silence bore down on them both, like a thick cloak. After a few moments of contemplation, Suki rose from her seat and came around the counter to her mother, placing one hand over hers.

"Mom, I'm going to bring Kyuu back. I'll bring him back, and then we can go back to how we were living before Dio came back. I'm not going to leave you alone. I'm going…on an errand, and I'll be back."

Ms. Kanao sniffled before responding, not meeting her daughter's eyes.

"I don't care what I've said. You shouldn't want to associate with someone who…someone who threw her husband's heart away like it was trash. I don't want anyone else to leave, but I've managed fine on my own."

Suki stood silent for a moment, contemplating what her mother had done.

"Mama, I know you had sex with another man. You can't change that… But are you really sorry about what you did?"

"Of course. I regret what I did every day since it happened."

"Then, I think that's all you can do. It was an honest mistake, and if you're really sorry about it… then I forgive you."

Ms. Kanao finally looked at her daughter. After a moment, Suki's mother pulled her daughter into a tight hug, as she spoke her next, painful words.

"I know you can take care of yourself. You are a mature, young woman," She felt her daughter stiffen at this remark, but continued, "Just promise me you'll come home safe."

"Of course, Mama. I... I promise."

* * *

The odd name of "Forever" had stuck with Suki, but she had certainly not expected an animal to be her escort to the path of interception of the Joestars. Taking a final look back at the suburb, she sighed and walked toward the small private jet that the orangutan had led her to.

"I was wondering how we were going to get to them fast enough that your Stand would actually be of use." The ape's face remained blank, save for his eyes narrowing. Noticing this, Suki followed up with, "No offense."

Looking back to the aircraft, she gave the vehicle a cursory glance.

 _I haven't seen anyone exit the plane yet…_ The girl scanned her surroundings, before bringing her thumb to her lips and nibbling on it in thought. _Do they expect me to fly this thing? Or…_ She turned her attention to the orangutan, who was perusing a magazine adorned with a woman wearing a bikini.

"My apologies for keeping you waiting."

Suki jumped and whipped around to see a clean-cut looking man with short blond hair, sharp green eyes, and an eerily polite grin in a pilot uniform.

"I apologize, I did not mean to startle you," The man grasped Suki's hand and shook it firmly and quickly, a far cry from the limp, languid handshakes Suki had been so accustomed to, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Kanao. My name is Whit Houston. If you'll follow me into the vehicle, please."

The man spoke quickly and almost without pause, as he walked past Suki and Forever towards the stairs leading to the door of the plane.

"So, I guess you'll be our pilot for the day?"

"No."

Upon entering the plane, Suki saw another man sitting in the pilot's seat. He seemed calm at first, but, upon closer inspection, she saw he was gripping the steering device with a white-knuckled grip, and his neck was drenched with sweat.

Taking a moment to look around the plane, seeing that Forever had already gotten comfortable with more magazines with pictures of women on them that he had gotten from who-knows-where, Suki tried to compare this vehicle to the last plane ride she had taken, and deduced that this private jet was much nicer.

"Do you have any questions before we take off, Miss Kanao?"

Suddenly appearing right behind her again, even though she was sure he had walked towards the back of the plane, away from Suki, she jumped again, nearly hitting her head on the low ceiling. Turning towards Whit and scratching her cheek nervously, she asked,

"Uhm, well, how did you get this plane under your control?"

"Ah, a very good question indeed. Well," Suki was sure she hadn't blinked, and yet Whit phased out of existence and reappeared in the copilot's seat, pointing a knife at the jugular of the man in the pilot's seat. Turning back in his seat to make eye contact with Suki, he never lost that pleasant employee lilt as he explained, "Anything is possible when you have a Stand like my Look to You." Turning back to face the pilot, he continued in his kind mannerisms by asking, "Please, start the plane. To the coast of Singapore, as we discussed."

Only able to shudder and gasp in response, the man gave an almost imperceptible nod and started the plane. Whit looked back to the passengers again and spoke as though nothing had happened.

"Please, find a seat and buckle up. We'll be taking off soon. I will let you know as soon as it is safe to walk about the cabin, and please, press the green button next to your seat if you need anything, Miss Kanao."

Suki nodded nervously and looked to find a seat. She passed by Forever's seat, and debated sitting somewhere near the primate, so perhaps she could goad him into not actually attacking the Joestars, but, as she passed, she felt a hand on her rear. She looked to her left to see Forever reaching over his stack of magazines with a sinister grin. The animal looked up as he applied pressure, squeezing her backside.

What is he doing?

Suki firmly shook her head and removed his hand from her posterior.

"I don't know what you were planning on accomplishing with that, but stop it. It feels gross."

With that, the girl decided to sit near the front of the plane, a fair distance from Forever, as he looked dismal from her rejection of his action. Just as Suki buckled in, she felt the plane begin to move and take to the skies.

* * *

A few hours later, Suki and Forever were bathed in the glow of the Singapore evening sun. Unbuckling from her seat, Suki was startled yet again by Whit appearing directly beside her, holding his hand out to her, as though asking to dance.

"Man, you're going to give me a heart attack at this rate!"

"How odd. I thought that continued exposure would make a person _more_ used to my Stand, not less."

Standing up, Suki retorted, "Well, your Stand isn't exactly like other…stimuli," The girl took her attendant's hand and allowed her to lead her off the plane, Forever following from a fair distance behind.

"I recommend you stay in Singapore overnight. If you're going to encounter the Joestars, you'll want to be well-rested."

Suki nodded, raising her free hand to block the sun from her eyes as she stepped onto the stairs leading to the door of the plane. Forever, feeling hasty, jumped over the railing onto the ground below and continued forward, looking back to see if Suki was following. As she reached the base of the stairs, Whit let go of her hand and walked to the side. Suki turned to him to give him a goodbye handshake, only for him to quickly embrace Suki. She was so stricken by his sudden show of affection that she almost didn't hear what he murmured, nearly deafened by the sound of the running plane engine, as he gazed into her eyes.

"Good luck fighting Dio."

 _No glint…Good,_ the girl thought.

Whit pulled back and began to scale the stairs, leaving Suki star struck by his words. Clenching her fists and throwing them to her sides, she yelled over the volume of the plane, "You better not tell anyone!" The attendant looked back and, to Suki's surprise, the smile he had kept constant for the whole plane ride was replaced with a firm line, as he nodded, determined to keep her secret safe.

As the plane took off up and away, Suki thought about how, even though all the odds seemed to be against her, she still found allies that supported her, no matter how weird of places they came from.

* * *

Suki was awoken from her reverie by Forever screeching at her and directing her attention to a point out on the sea. Picking up her telescope and putting it to her eye, she laid eyes upon a small collection of lifeboats, led by a singular dinghy populated by a little girl and five men who were certainly larger than her brother, and even rivaled Dio in terms of sheer size. Unsatisfied with just assuming the group was the Joestars she had been looking for, Suki called out her Stand.

"Knight of Cups!"

A watery figure cloaked in more water emerged from the girl. Removing the hood of the cloak allowed the wavering cloth to flow freely behind the head of the Stand in a soft triangle shape, exposing the almost white eyes of the spirit. The cloak of water over the water figure seemed to be too big for her, bunching around her wrists and seemingly around her ankles, if she had any. Looking to her Stand, Suki put her hands together in a playfully pleading gesture before making her request heard.

"Could you go get a closer look for me, please?"

Knight of Cups' eyes closed in a happy expression before the wraith swan dove into the water. Knight was clearly excited, as a large quantity of water was splashed up by her path through the sea.

"Maybe be a bit more covert, Knight?" Suki murmured in a quiet plea. Knight of Cups heard this and continued at the same speed, but throwing up much less water.

* * *

"Man, what are we even going to do now?" A voice with a very clear French tinge whined as Knight neared the leading boat. The man who spoke first had a very…unique hairstyle, even compared to those of his comrades, standing straight up and silver, with a receding hairline. He wore earrings that looked like two halves of a broken heart and a black tank top with one strap.

 _Why is the weirdest aspect of this man the fact that his top only has one strap…?_

The man sitting next to him remained silent, his hair styled in a way that Suki had seen on a few men in her time, but this person here seemed to wear it best with his flowing red robe, white headdress, and golden jewelry hanging about his neck. Needless to say, this man's fashion sense was not lost on the hidden onlooker.

 _Ah, I think I remember Dio meeting a man like that. I hope I get to ask him how he made his daring escape, smashing through a window, dashing into the dead of Cairo night-_

"Relax, Polnareff, I just sent up a signal. Any minute now, we should be getting help." The man at the head of the boat spoke, snapping Suki out of her daydream. This person was clearly the eldest of the group, sporting a short mop of grey hair with a beard and mustache. What struck Suki the most was the fact that…

 _He looks like a lifeguard. Or a pool boy? He definitely has buoy colors, so maybe he'd make a good pool buoy._

Inwardly giggling at her own stupid joke, she turned her attention to the youngest looking member of the group, who was not the little girl.

 _There is nothing to write home about in terms of how that little girl looks. She just looks boring._

The youngest male of the group kept his rosy red hair out of his face, save for one stray squiggle that Suki was sure would get in the way of doing anything, and seemed to match the color with his cherry-colored and cherry-like earrings, providing a contrast to his striking green…military uniform?

 _This guy is way too young and way too innocent to be a military man, unless things are different wherever he comes from. He definitely catches the eye, but what's with the complete red and green dynamic? Is he the type who celebrates Christmas all year or something?_

"What are those?" A voice rougher than sandpaper rumbled through the sea-salt-laden air, as Knight finally looked at the man who had had his back to the Stand from the beginning, making eye contact with him.

 _Maybe if I stay still, he'll think I'm coral or something._

The man turned towards the Stand, his hands grasping the side of the boat. His piercing blue eyes narrowed as he studied the creature in the water.

 _Cripes! If looks could kill..._

The man reached a hand out to touch the Stand in the water. Knight remained motionless, in part to remain covert, but most of all rendered immobile by his eyes that seemed to nail her to the spot. In water.

"Hey, Jotaro, what are you looking-" The old man asked, before looking into the water and seeing the same set of glassy eyes that the man with the piercing gaze saw.

"Th-that's a-"

Knight dove quickly under the water, and, after regaining composure, realized a crucial detail.

The old man and the man with the piercing gaze had a matching star-shaped birthmark on the backs of their necks.

She had only caught a quick glimpse, due to her attention being diverted to other places, but as the man, presumably named Jotaro, leaned down to touch Knight, she caught a glimpse of his star, and a glimpse of the old man's when he was sitting at the front of the boat.

This torrent of realization crashed upon Suki like a tidal wave, as she paused from sheer relief that she finally found the people she had been looking for. She came back to reality upon hearing the muffled, somewhat panicked voices of some of the passengers on the boat, namely the old man and the silver-haired man.

 _Knight, lead them into the fog! We'll catch up to them there!_

Knight nodded, and, ready and waiting to put on a show, burst up from the water and leapt in an arc over the boat, twisting her body as she flew. She cast a wink in the direction of her befuddled onlookers before reentering the water and splashing along into the oncoming fog. She made sure to create quite a show of flailing about and making plenty of noise in order to send them in the right direction before disappearing deeper into the sea and changing direction to make it back to her user.

* * *

"Where is-" Suki was cut off as Knight erupted from the sea like a geyser, putting her hands out like a thespian about to take her final bow. Shielding herself from getting wet, the girl chuckled as she coaxed her Stand back to her.

"Quite the show you put on, if I do say so myself, Knight." At this, her Stand placed her hands on her own cheeks and turned away, clearly embarrassed.

"Alright, Forever, get ready," Suki looked out from the bow of the boat, her Stand floating directly beside her, as she caught a glimpse of the silhouettes of the boats in the fog. She chanced one last look down at her amulet before looking back up with a determined smirk.

"It's showtime!"

* * *

Prologue - Showtime

-END-

To Be Continued|\|/

* * *

 **So, I've been sitting on this story for quite some time, and, now that I finally have some time, I'm able to write this story and share it with the rest of you guys! I'll try and keep a consistent schedule of one chapter a week, but I make no promises, especially when school starts back up. I really hope you all like it, and please, don't be afraid to leave a review, comment, or question! Suki's got a long journey ahead, and I hope you all will read along and enjoy as she sets out to find her brother! -BlueBow**


	2. Chapter 1 - I'm on a Boat

**WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by another warning right beforehand, and another line right where the explicit scene ends. You have been warned.**

* * *

Waiting for the stalwart heroes to board the boat already seemed to take longer with every passing minute, as Suki waited patiently in the humid crawlspace between the wall and Forever's cage, in the room adjacent to the wheel room. Every passing minute, Suki would knock twice in quick succession on the back of the cage, a signal to ask if they'd boarded yet. Forever would answer each of her signals with one knock, as a "no." After what seemed like forever and a fortnight, the ape knocked twice on the back wall of his cage, to signal that the Joestars and their comrades had finally gotten on the boat.

It would be an understatement to say that Suki was antsy. She had run through all the possible "What if's" beforehand, and she had come to the conclusion that, regardless of if they trusted her, or even if they did unthinkable things to her, seeing Dio taken down and her brother back home would make it all worth it. Even then, actually _meeting_ the supposed heroes of fate was nerve-wracking, and the animal in the cage chuckling (?) to himself every now and again certainly did not help in calming the girl down. Most notably, the idea of running into the Joestar with blue eyes had her on edge.

 _Those eyes… I don't know what it is about that look of his, but I've never felt so vulnerable, except around Dio. I really hope he tones it down when he's talking to his comrades, because I don't know how long I could last under that gaze,_ The girl shook her head to try and dispel the thoughts. _I'm getting too riled up. I need to calm down somehow._ She looked to her chest, where her necklace was hiding. _And I can't use this. If they walked in, the song would give away my position…_

Suki then remembered that, when she and her brother were younger, they would come up with names for the "villain" of the day, the target of their miniscule crusades.

 _Maybe I could do the same for these guys. It'll at least take my mind off of my nerves._ Suki then closed her eyes in thought. _Okay, let's do this then!_

The youth decided to go in the order that her attention had been grabbed by them when she had first seen the heroes up close.

 _First was…the silver-haired man… Okay, being perfectly honest, I don't care how stand-out his hair is, I refuse to ignore that one strap! It bugs the crap out of me! He's…He's gotta have more than just that one outfit, right? Well, until further notice, he's "One Strap Man."_

 _Next is the man in the red robe… Hmmm…_

Unwilling to settle for thoughtless nicknames like "Red Robe-in" or "Fashion Man," Suki opened her eyes and chanced a glance at the stockpile of magazines stacked in the suffocating space behind the cage.

 _Maybe I can get some brainstorm ideas from those…_

Careful to make as little sound as possible, the girl reached up and pulled the first mag off of the top. Suki retrospectively wished she had pushed the cage out a bit further when she had had the chance, to give herself better access to the lights that hung directly over the cage. Squinting to make out the title, the youth read, "Hot Ebony," as a dark-skinned woman adorned the front page, clothed only in underwear, lying on her side on an ivory chaise lounge with a sly grin and a finger to her lips.

 _Ebony refers to more of a dark color, right? I mean, it's better than calling him "Token Black Guy." The "Hot" part though… Well, even from an unbiased standpoint like mine, he is an attractive male, and the name sounds cool enough, so I'll go with this._

Deciding to try a different approach and thumb through the stack of magazines, and see if any titles came up that fit any of the heroes to a "T," Suki set to work looking at the covers of each and every magazine. No title caught her eye, until she came across the sixth one in the thick tower, what seemed to be a seasonal edition. The front page contained a picture of an older woman looking to top a Christmas tree with a star. The lady looked the part of a Christmas elf, albeit, wearing much less clothing than Suki would expect of one of Santa's helpers. Funnily enough, the title of the zine was "Santa's Little Helper."

 _If I didn't know any better, I would say that that man with the squiggle hair was a walking Christmas enthusiast… Oh well, he'll never catch wind of this nickname, so I can be dumb if I want! "Santa's Helper" it is then!_

Going further down the stack, the girl's eye was caught by the word "grandpa" on the cover. On this magazine was a picture of a woman pressed up against the window of what appeared to be a luxurious hotel room, with an older, somewhat attractive man pressing his crotch up against her backside. Neither person wore any clothes that Suki could see. The full title was "Foxy Grandpa."

 _Foxy… is another word for attractive, no? Well, for an old man, that Joestar does look well beyond his years…I think. He is about seventy, right? Sixty-nine? I think this'll do!_

 _Finally is…the man with the piercing blue eyes. Maybe-_

Suki's thought route was rudely interrupted by the sound of the door slamming open, and an older man's voice yelling, "Hey! Isn't anyone around?"

Peeking around the corner of the cage, reassured that any who looked at the cage wouldn't be able to see her due to the poor lighting, Suki saw that in the doorway stood the little girl she had seen on the boat. The child turned behind her and beckoned, "Everyone, come over here!"

 _Ah, right. I forgot about her. Whoops._

Into the room stepped Foxy Grandpa, Santa's Helper, One Strap Man, and…

 _Blue Eyes._

The girl nodded, satisfied with her cool, albeit uncreative, nickname.

"A monkey! There's a monkey inside that cage." The little child exclaimed, as the four men examined her discovery from across the room. As Forever gave a small grunt of recognition,Suki rolled her eyes.

 _Don't they teach you kids anything in school these days? Monkeys have tails. Do you see a tail on this animal?_

"An orangutan." Santa's Helper corrected. The youth sighed, glad to know someone did their research.

"Who the hell cares about a monkey?! Let's split up and find whoever's been feeding it," Foxy Grandpa dismissed and turned to leave the room, with the other three men following close behind. After doing a double take back to the cage (for some reason…?), the child rushed after the heroes. After making sure the sound of footsteps had completely faded, Suki crawled out from the dank space and stretched.

"Now that I think on it, you've never bothered me for food…" Suki turned her head as she performed a forward lunge, focusing her attention on the caged ape, "You _can_ feed yourself, right?"

At this, Forever pulled out an apple from the small pile that sat behind him, and a Swiss army knife that had laid closed in the magazine he had been sitting on. The primate dragged the blade through the fruit with the ease of a hot knife through butter, and began to munch on one of the apple halves, placing the other half in his lap. Suki smirked.

 _Smart cookie._ Feeling loosened up, the girl quietly made way to the cabins below deck. _Probably should've brought my bag up here with me, but hindsight is 20/20, I guess._

As she took care to make every step silent, Suki quickly tiptoed to the cabins below deck. Along the way, she felt a small breeze of air at her back. She turned to see…

A Stand.

 _Oh. No._

The Stand was a melon-green humanoid figure, that was ribbed with what looked to be white bindings of some sort, with insectoid yellow eyes, a white face mask, and a subtle pattern in its green coloration that brought to mind what Suki saw in blinking after having her picture taken with a bright flash. It looked as if the wraith had not noticed her presence yet, but the girl knew she couldn't just take off running. She knew whoever this Stand belonged to was using his eyes _and_ his ears to scout out the ship, just like she had used Knight of Cups earlier.

 _Don't. Make. A. Sound._

The spirit looked to its left, so Suki maneuvered her body into the blind spot on his right side. As it turned its head to the right, she moved herself to its left. Finally, the green Skittle floated down the hallway in the direction Suki had just departed from and disappeared around the corner.

 _I'd better get moving. Crossing my fingers I don't run into him again._

* * *

 _I just had to open my mouth._

Cornered in the shower room, Suki had had no idea how much time had passed between the first run-in with Greenie and the second.

 _Ugh, and I'm so_ close _! Dang it all!_

As she stood against the wall in the rightmost shower, she could hear the Stand systematically pulling open the curtains to each stall and turning on the shower nozzle for each, gradually getting closer to the one she occupied. Once the candy-colored ghost appeared in front of her own shower, it would all be over, as the curtains did little to hide the bathing silhouettes.

 _No, you're not finding me on_ your _terms. I say when you find me._

Scanning her surroundings for any escape route, she discovered that the stalls were not completely walled off from each other, with space between the top of the partition, standing between each shower, and the ceiling of the room.

 _Okay, he's going to_ see _me up there, though!_

Suki heard the curtain next to her stall shifting. Her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out the sound of the water coming on. As her eyes shifted down, she saw the corner of a small pool of water forming due to the initial blast from the nozzle.

 _An opening!_

Commanding her Stand's emergence from her mind, she shoved Knight of Cups into the puddle with all of her might. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the shadow of the green ghost slowly moving into view of her own curtain. Careful to keep her eyes closed, Knight splashed about as much as she could in the miniscule amount of water. Almost imperceptibly, the Stand's head tilted down to examine the noisy liquid.

 _Now or never!_

Suki grasped the chance she had been given with both hands, leaping straight up and pulling herself up and over the wall into the neighboring stall. Just as she cleared the partition, she heard the curtain pulled open to the stall she had previously occupied, and the shower nozzle turned on.

 _Okay, now just..._

Much to Suki's relief, the Stand left without a second look around, after examining the stall she had been in. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, thankfully silenced by the rushing water, the girl got up to leave the room, not minding her now wet condition. On her way out of the stall, she was stopped by Knight emerging from the water near her with a hurt expression.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Knight. I panicked. I'll be gentler next time." With a calmer look about her, Knight of Cups faded out of sight. The girl bolted to the cabins to grab her costume and her bag. Thankfully, the other sailors had moved to the transmission room to see if they could signal anyone, judging by all the loud voices coming from behind the door as the youth passed.

Arriving at one of the cabins, it seemed the sailors had already made themselves comfortable, as several of their belongings lay strewn about the collection of bunkbeds and nightstands.

 _I hope it didn't get crushed…_

Feeling under the mattress of the bed closest to the door, her hand grazed a thin, large cardboard box. Removing the box from its hiding place, she lifted the lid, and her eyes lit up as she was privy to the pristine white sailor uniform she had found abandoned on the ship, completely free of wrinkles or creases.

The box only contained the top half of the uniform, comprised of a smart button-up, long-sleeved white shirt, a snazzy brimmed hat, and, surprisingly, an old wooden pipe. Suki found the existence of pockets on the breasts of the shirt to be of incredible utility in the few times she had worn the cloth, and the hat just made her feel cool, but the pipe was a new addition that she had found in the captain's quarters.

Swiftly donning the garb over her normal clothes, wrestling with the short cape attached to her shirt, as it was being pushed up uncomfortably against her back, finally giving in on trying to fix it, choosing to just let it fall behind her, pulling the brim of the hat over her eyes and popping the pipe in her mouth, she meandered to the full-length mirror to look at herself. In that instant, she realized…

 _It's_ way _too big for me._

Looking herself up-and-down, she tried pulling the coat further over her shoulders, then pushing it back, even trying the cap on backwards, to try and draw attention away from the baggy shirt, but that just served to make the whole look fall apart. As a last resort, Suki tried unbuttoning the shirt and leaving it unbuttoned, as a sort of makeshift jacket over her clothes. Almost afraid to look up at herself after all the fashion mishaps she'd had in those few minutes, Suki tore her eyes away from the shirt to the mirror again, and her mouth fell slightly open in realization.

 _I…_

 _I look kind of cool…_

* * *

"Heheh, lookee, Big Bro! I'm you!" The white flannel shirt Suki had donned was much too big for the smaller sized girl, as she bounded over to her brother. Kyuu lowered the book he had been reading and took a long look at his half-sister. He chuckled, his eyes closing as his laugh tinkled like bells, a stark contrast to his imposing figure.

"Silly Sister, you look like a dork in that," The girl's face fell as her lower lip pushed itself out in a pout.

"Well, it's not my fault I can't look as cool as you in this…"

The brother lowered his eyes in thought, before raising his eyes back to his dejected little sister.

"Here, come with me."

Taking the girl by the hand, he led her to his own room, where a full-length mirror stood. Standing Suki in front of him, in full view of the reflective glass, he began to unbutton the snaps.

"You know, I don't mind you wanting to go out and dress like me," _Snap._

"But, _being_ me is another thing," _Snap._

"I'm not as cool as you think I am," _Snap._

 _"You,_ on the other hand, are the coolest person I know," _Snap._

"Kind, gentle, adorable," _Snap._

"You don't need to change for me, Suki," _Snap._

"You're amazing just the way you are," _Snap. Shuffle._

"There. _Now_ you _look_ cool too," Gazing at the innocent blue shirt that lay under the now-open shirt, Kyuu moved his hands from the bottom of the shirt to his sister's shoulders, rubbing up and down her arms. After a moment, he raised one of his hands up and gently patted the girl on the head.

"I love you, Little Sis."

The girl looked back up at her brother, her cheeks tinged red and her mouth slightly agape. After a moment, she closed her eyes and gave her brother a cheeky grin.

"Hee hee, I love you, too, Big Bro!"

* * *

Suki came back to the present as she felt her face flush and her lips spread into a timid smile, pulling the captain's jacket closer to her as she basked in quiet, serene reminiscence. Reaffirming her quiet determination, the girl grabbed her satchel from behind the nightstand closest to the door and walked out of the room.

 _Alright, almost time for the big entrance, I think…_

Passing by the transmission room, Suki was puzzled, not by the noises coming from behind the door, but the lack thereof. Suspicious, she nudged the door open as quietly as she could. When there was just enough space to poke her head in, she did so. What she was greeted with was a sight most ghastly.

"Oh…Oh, god…"

Suki threw her hands to her mouth in disbelief, desperately trying to muffle her cries, inadvertently pushing the door open more. All the girl wanted to do was tear her eyes away, but she found she couldn't keep her eyes from scanning the horrific scene that sat in front of her.

What was once a communications room full of boisterous, happy-go-lucky sailors was now a dark, humid graveyard on the high seas. Mangled bodies littered the machinery and floor, heads asking where their bodies had gone with snow-white eyes, and detached limbs sitting abandoned like old chew toys.

Backing up until her spine hit the cold metal wall, all Suki wanted to do was flee back to the deck, get a huge breath of that salty, ocean air, and convince herself that she had just had a bad dream. Unfortunately, the youth knew that the raw smell of blood and viscera and the sight of once lively faces now contorted in perpetual horror and agony was nothing she would ever let occupy her brain space.

Working for Dio had allowed Suki some idea of the worst one human being could do to another, or, at least, the discarded remnants of a human being's backwash, _clothed_ in the body of a human being. Desensitization to the smell, sight, and sound of the removed inner machinery of a human body was _required_ to keep the job of one of the vampire's close followers; however, such emotional self-euthanasia was not in the job description for heroes. At least, as far as the young girl knew.

 _You guys…You're the heroes, right? So…why…?_

As much as she had tried to fight her body's base impulses, Suki finally retched, expelling half of what she'd eaten that day.

 _Oh god…At least I didn't throw up ev-_

The girl vomited again, tasting the distinct bitterness of bile with a third convulsion of her body.

 _Well, there's the other half._

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, the youth grasped a nearby pipe to steady herself, as she used the other hand to hold her head, closing her eyes and gathering her thoughts, blocking out the smell of half-digested food and rotting corpses from her senses as best she could.

 _Get it together, Suki! Stop jumping to conclusions! Something much more malicious is going on here, and it was able to take all of these lives out from under their noses. But what would that thing be?_

Suddenly, the neighboring door, leading to the shower room, burst open with a crash, as a flash of a dark coat passed in the corner of Suki's vision. Looking up, she saw Forever bounding after the figure, followed by the little girl, who had nothing but a towel in front of her as she ran after the two.

As Suki heard more distinct crashes down the hall, she brought her hands to her cheeks and smacked them twice harshly. Saying a quiet "Rest in Peace" to the sad fates of the sailors, she hid behind the corner leading into the hallway the two people had run (well, run and flew) down, and peeked around. Squinting into the darkness, she could barely make out the figure of Blue Eyes.

 _I feel bad about what happened to those sailors, but I think I may have an idea who the culprit is._ Nodding to herself and raising her fists up in a gesture similar to a boxing stance, she reaffirmed her own determination.

 _Alright, it's showtime!_

* * *

"So the Stand is the freighter!" Jotaro exclaimed, as metal tendrils reached out of the wall and ensnared him and his Stand. The orangutan phased back into view and cackled at the plight of his latest victim. Suddenly, a low chuckle emanated from the end of the hallway, followed by the sound of clomping boots on metal.

"So, you finally figured it out, huh, Sherlock?"

Out of the shadows stepped a small figure, about a foot shorter than himself, Jotaro estimated, wearing what looked to be a hand-me-down captain's jacket from about three brothers before her, open to a pale blue…jumpsuit? With…was that a cape hanging over the jacket? Alongside this odd ensemble were a captain's hat sitting lopsided on her head, a wooden pipe hanging from her lips, and combat boots fitting snugly around her feet. With a brown bob-haircut, a thin nose, tiny lips, and brown eyes that seemed way too innocent to fit this kind of situation, Jotaro could only hazard a guess that the girl was only a little bit younger than himself, in terms of physique.

With a flourish, the girl tilted her hat's brim over one eye, placing her other hand squarely on her hip, and leaned towards her captive with a smug smirk.

"Jotaro Joestar. We meet at last."

Silence.

 _Okay, let's get a good look at you… Apart from your eyes, of course. I shall put the ultimate cheat code to use and look at the rest of you, then your hat. Or maybe that one cute curly strand of hair poking out._

"Stunned silent by my appearance?" The youth stood up straight, putting her other hand on her other hip, grinning toothily like a kid who'd just beaten their granddad at Go Fish.

Silence.

 _Wait, why is he wearing a trenchcoat out on the open seas? Does Blue Eyes_ want _to have a heat stroke, or is he one of those people who wasn't blessed with thicker skin? His hat's pretty cool tho- hang on. Where does his hair end and his hat begin? This…Why is this existing._

"Hello? Anyone in there?" The girl sauntered forward and leaned down to look up at Jotaro past the brim of her cap. Her eyes fell half-lidded, and one side of her mouth tweaked up, before continuing, "It's not nice to ignore people, y'know."

 _Silence_. Then, Jotaro finally gave a reaction, deadpanning-

"Kujo."

The girl removed her pipe from her lips.

"Uh, come again?"

"It's Jotaro _Kujo_. Do your research." Turning his head to the side and closing his eyes in sheer lack of interest, he muttered, "Idiot."

 _Oh._

 _Well shit._

Scratching the back of her head in slight embarrassment, the girl spoke up, "Well, how do you expect a guy like me to keep up with all of this info about you guys? I may be one of Dio's lackeys, but that doesn't mean that I-"

"Wait, back up." Jotaro's eyes had opened again and he had turned his attention to the person in front of him during her first statement. The bound male raised an eyebrow and asked a one-word question.

"Guy?"

"Yeah, guy, what of it?"

"No, guy, that's what I'm saying."  
Standing up straight, the "guy" retorted, "Say that again, I dare you!"

"You're not a dude."  
"A-Am too!"

"Really? Pull your pants down and prove it, then."

Suki's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Okay, what is that going to prove?"

"Don't play dumb," As much as he could while restrained, the man pointed to the little girl next to him. "Hell, this one actually tried, and she managed to fool quite a few people. How many have you fooled with that getup?"

"Okay, no," The youth pointed at the naked child, "You are _not_ gonna compare me to Little Miss Do-Nothing over there." Turning to the girl, following the trajectory of her pointed finger, she exclaimed, "Why are you even _here?!_ What have you even done?!" As the youth's attention was turned elsewhere, Jotaro couldn't help his own slightly confused expression.

 _An ape with a boat for a Stand, and I think it can't get any weirder. Now this kid barges in and thinks she's the big shot. This is my life now._

The tiny girl, clutching her towel tightly to her body, spoke with a meek grin, "I-I found the monkey."

"Very good! And I'd like to inform you that anyone with eyes could see that the mon- gaagh – the _ape_ was there in its cage, before it went, pardon the pun, apeshit on all of you! Little girl-"

"My name is Anne."

"My name is Suki Kanao. Nice to meet you," She took the little girl's hand and shook it, asking, "What's your Stand?"

"My…My what?"

Jotaro sighed.

"Why…" Turning back to the restrained man, Suki reprimanded, "Why would you bring her onto this freighter?!"

"Okay, first of all, how the hell were we supposed to know that this wasn't a ship that had come out to save us?"

"I think the lack of people would've spoken volumes."

"I think the fact that we lost a man to a possessed hook would've spoken louder."

"To leaving?"  
"No, to investigating."

"Ugh, why am I bothering with you?!" Suki ruffled her hair with both hands in irritation. She then threw her hands down, turned, and stomped down the hallway, "Wasted my grand entrance on you and everything…"

"Wait, the second point is a genuine concern."

Suki's footsteps stopped, as she backtracked to where she had been standing before. Giving Jotaro a sideways gaze from under the brim of her hat, she mumbled,

"I'm listening."

"Why are you concerned about her safety?"

"Because bringing someone along on Dio's Wild Ride of Adventures, who can't even lift a finger to protect themselves, is putting your own lives in danger." Tilting her head opposite Jotaro, she smirked, "Now, who needs to do research, dummy?"

"Okay, follow-up – why are you concerned about _our_ safety?"

"Because…" The girl's expression darkened, before she turned her determined gaze forward, then to Jotaro's eyes, meeting his blue irises head-on.

"Because you're the only ones who can take down Dio."

Silence.

"Please don't give me the silent treatment again."

"So, you don't-"

Suki raised a hand to cut him off. She then gave him a sincere smile, a far cry from the immaturity she had been showcasing.

 _This chick…_

"I'll explain once everyone's back together, okay? In the meanwhile," Taking a few steps forward, Suki cupped her hands around her mouth and leaned forward, hoping her voice was heard throughout the whole boat.

"Forever! We're done here! You can let everyone go now!"

Silently, the orangutan phased back out of the wall that he had disappeared into earlier, stealthily creeping up behind the girl. She stood up straighter, balling her hands into fists at her sides.

"I'm going to join up with the Joestars!"

Jotaro tried to reach out to the girl, but he could barely move with his bindings.

"Hey, kid, watch behind you!" The man barked at the yelling girl, but too late.

"Wha-!"

Within seconds, the ape had lunged at the girl, ripping her jacket from her body, knocking her hat onto the floor and forcing her to drop the pipe she'd been holding. One second passed, and she had been disrobed of her captain's attire. The next, she was tied to the wall, to the right of the blue-eyed man, by the same metal bindings that held him.

"Kn-Knight!"

The girl called out her Stand, in vain, as she was also swiftly bound by the vessel. Knight struggled fruitlessly against the restraints, finally giving in with drooping eyes.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I thought we agreed that you'd let me go with them!"

As the primate slipped into the jacket, he grunted in a rhythm akin to a laugh. On closer inspection, the jacket and hat seemed to fit him perfectly.

"Those are yours? I thought they belonged to the previous captain…?"

"You mean you put those on without even knowing who they belonged to?"

"Hang on, if the clothes are yours, then that pipe…?"  
The girl's question was answered by the animal placing the pipe between his lips and grinning cheekily.

Reviling in disgust, the girl tried in vain to spit out what she knew lay on her tongue. Defeated, she banged her head once against the wall behind her.

"Come ooooooooon, I'm gonna have to wash my mouth out with soap!"

"You're an idiot."

"Well, I don't need you to remind me!"

The ape gestured toward a dictionary in his hand, pointing to the word, "strength." Clearly annoyed by his antics, Suki grouched, "Look it wasn't cool the first time you did it with me, it's not gonna be cool the second time with someone who clearly knows what he's doing. I mean, you might impress the kid, but the point is, we get it: you're intelligent and you have the Stand of the Strength arcana. Big friggin' whoop."

"Strength arcana?"

Turning to her fellow captive, Suki took the chance to explain, as she ignored the primate repeatedly trying to shove the book in her face, "The… eighth card of the Tarot, if I remember right? Suggesting, uhm, powerful will, challenge, and…hidden instinct."

"Hidden instinct, huh…" Jotaro mumbled, seemingly lost in thought.

The girl nodded and took the chance to look Forever in the eye as she smirked and said, "Do I have that right?"

The primate answered by throwing the dictionary at Suki's face, nailing her cheek with the corner.

"Asshole. Why don't you use that 'hidden instinct' to learn how to aim better?"

Choosing instead to focus his attention on a Rubik's cube that he had pulled out from…somewhere…, Jotaro had his Stand try and rip off one of its bindings. The Stand succeeded, causing Suki's eyes to light up.

"Ah!"

Only for the Stand's arm to be pinned down by more metal tendrils.

"Aw…"

The ape chuckled, clearly satisfied with himself.

 _This ship, the entire thing, is my Stand! You've completely lost! You can't do anything!_

 _That's what it seems like he's saying_ , Suki thought. She assessed the situation from top to bottom, and couldn't find any openings to take him down from. _Have…Have we really lost?_

"Hey. Jotaro…Kujo, right?" The girl murmured. The man next to her turned his head in recognition, "In case we die here, I wanna tell you something."

"Okay, but you don't need to use my full name. It makes you sound like a dork."

"Well I don't know if this is the last time I'll be able to say it out loud," Taking a small breath, she locked eyes with him, noting that his gaze had almost imperceptibly softened.

 _Maybe he trusts me now? Well, I shouldn't jump to conclusions._

"I'm sorry." The apology was met with a slightly quirked eyebrow.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because if I'd just come up to you guys and explained what was going on, then we could've avoided this whole mess. We could've prevented…all of those innocent people…dying…" She bit her lip as the image of that chaotic scene flared up in her mind, "All because I was stupid and selfish, and wanted to impress you guys with a cool entrance, that ended up flopping anyways because I didn't do a fact check, and didn't make sure you guys were all in the same place, alive and well," The girl gave a sad smile with closed eyes, as tears began to form at their corners, "I'm just a big idiot, huh? Although, while I'm busy confessing stuff…" Blushing slightly as she admitted the next part, opening her eyes and letting them drift to the side, pouting slightly, "If any one person had to see my entrance…I'm glad it was you. Sure, you come off a bit rough, but you did try to warn me about Forever's attack. And you're able to stay cool-headed even though we might be about to die! I mean, I'm just flapping my lips because I'm so nervous…"

The ape crushed the now-finished cube in his hand. Jotaro lowered his voice almost to a whisper as he responded.

"Well, you can stop being nervous. I'm cool-headed because I think I have a plan."  
Startled, the girl raised her voice, "You-!"

"Shh!" Making sure the ape's attention was turned away, unfortunately towards the helpless Anne, he spoke lowly and quickly, "I say 'I think' because I need your help to make it work."

"Uh, oh. Okay, what do you need me to do?"

"Can you cut the closest restraint-here?" He pointed inwards, at his inner elbow.

"Uh, I need some…" _Water…_

 _Water…_

 _Water!_

Suki looked to the floor, but her eyes drooped when she saw the pool of spit still sitting on the floor,

"Not big enough…"

"You need water to make your Stand work?"

"H-How did you…?"

"You think I didn't recognize those saucer eyes of your Stand?"

"Ah."

"If you need more water, you've got more water. Just cough it up."

"Oh, right!"

Suki tried to hack up as much saliva as she could in one spit, and directed her shot to the already existing pool to enlarge it.

"Okay…I think… Knight, could you try it?" Knight nodded at her user, before languidly bobbing her head back and forth, directing the water into Suki's hand closest to Jotaro's restraint. In her hand, after a moment, a watery survival knife formed.

"Got it! Okay, now push your arm back and make as much room as you can," She explained, pulling the knife into a backhanded grip, "I don't wanna cut your clothes."

"I guess you don't give two shits about my skin?"  
"It won't cut your skin."

With that, Suki went to work, as Jotaro looked back towards the primate, who was still trying to paw at the little girl. _Shit, we need to-!_ His train of thought was cut short as he gave a small hiss in pain, whipping his head towards Suki.

"Hey, I thought you said-!"

The girl looked up at him like a deer in headlights. There was a small, almost unnoticeable tear in the sleeve of his coat; however, despite the sharp pain of a blade he had felt earlier, his sleeve was not being colored red by a bleeding cut. Soon enough, the pain faded into nonexistence, as if the blade biting his skin had been imagined.

"S-sorry, my hand slipped."

Turning back towards the ape, Jotaro murmured, "It's fine, just keep going."

After a few more seconds, his arm was free of the restraint he had named. Slowly, so as not to draw attention, he moved his hand up to the collar of his jacket, and began to fiddle with the button.

"So, what's this big plan of yours?"

"You'll see."

"Heh, I'm kinda excited to see what you'll do."

"Nothing big, just watch."

Taking the now free button between two fingers, he chucked it at the back of Forever's head. The small piece of metal ricocheted off of his skull and bounced on the floor a few times, settling at the ape's feet. Rubbing his head in confusion, the primate picked up the button.

"That button's not part of your Stand." This remark seemed to anger the animal, as Jotaro continued, "You mad? I guess it wounded your pride, since you thought you'd already won."

As Forever began to tremble with rage, Blue Eyes landed the punishing blow, "No, it's not hurt…Because apes don't have any pride!"

 _Oh my God. He wants us dead._

The ape leapt furiously into the air, his hat falling off in the process, as Jotaro asserted as though he were watching the action occur on screen, "That's exactly what makes you an ape. What's going to hurt…

"...Is your head!"

Two fingers of Jotaro's Stand extended to incredible length, as they shot out and connected with the button with pinpoint accuracy. The golden button soared from the hit, drilling directly into Forever's forehead, causing blood to spurt volcanically from the wound, and drip out of his eyes. Feeling her binds loosen, Suki pulled herself off of the wall, as Jotaro just walked out of his previous restraints as though they were simple weeds latched to his ankles. Looking back to see Knight of Cups still struggling, flustered and flushed, Suki yanked at the metal only for it to give way easily under her grip. Knight gleefully rejoiced in her freedom, hugging Suki and spinning her in a circle before rejoining her figure.

"Good grief," About to retort with her own remark, Suki saw the comment was directed at the ape he had just trounced. Forever stepped back, squealing in fright, as he ripped open his jacket and stood motionless. Taking the brim of his hat in his fingers, Jotaro spoke up,

"I've heard that, when frightened, animals show their stomachs to signal that they're giving up," Pulling the brim over an eye, he asked, "So you're asking me to forgive you?" His face looked contemplative, perhaps thinking about showing mercy to the ape. Forever shakily nodded his head, as he raised his hands in a typical gesture of surrender.

Jotaro shoved his hands into his pockets with a sigh. He cast his gaze over to Suki, who stood between the two, forming a triangle. The man's eyes bore into hers, but they were not forcing her to speak, like Dio's did.

They were asking.

 _Is…Is he asking me what I think? Well,_ I _think… As a big idiot like myself might say…_

 _This jerk done deserve this._

Something in her eyes must have given Jotaro the cue he needed, as he shifted his attention back to the ape.

"But you've already broken the rules of being an animal…So I don't think so." With that, Jotaro's Stand launched out and unleashed a barrage of punches so fast that Suki could barely comprehend that the Stand was throwing punch after powerful punch into the primate's body. Winding up one final left hook, the Stand sent Forever flying across the hall, crumpling the metal door behind him.

Satisfied that the action had ended, Jotaro called his Stand back to him. After casting a glance back at the discarded heap of an ape, Suki looked back at Jotaro, her eyes glittering.

"That…That was-!"  
Suddenly, the ship roared and shook, losing and gaining more shape.

"It's distorted…The whole ship is twisting up!" The little girl shouted.

"Okay, is stating the obvious all you're good for? Next you'll be telling us, 'This corridor is all twisted!'" Suki complained, raising her arms and shrugging.

"Hey, I don't al-"

"Hey. Save the cat fight for later," Jotaro commanded, gripping the brim of his hat, "This ship's about to sink. We're gonna get out of here by the boats we came in on," With no gentleness, he swung the little girl over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and started running down the hall, Suki following close behind.

"So, which way do we go?" Jotaro asked as they ran, turning the corner past the shower and transmission room.

"Huuuuh?! You came down here without knowing which way you were going?!"

"Just shut up and tell me which way we go!"

"How about I do you one better!"

Suki pulled in front of Jotaro.

"Follow me!"

"And you get on _her_ case for stating the obvious?"

"Oh, hush!"

The two ran through the halls as fast as their feet would carry them.

"So, hey, can I say something?"  
"Is now really the time for that, Jotaro?"

"Look who's talking."

"You always have a retort for everything, don't you?"

"You make it easy for me."

"Fine, smartass, cough it up."  
"Remember when you asked me if you were just a big idiot?"

"Uh, yeah, I'd prefer you not- hang on," She stopped Jotaro in his tracks. Listening to the creaking above her, she coaxed him into a different hallway, an offshoot of the one they had been running down, "Let's go this way."

"I don't think this is the time for detours."

"It's not a detour. It's a question: your body or that sheet of metal?" The creaking reached a deafening roar as the ceiling collapsed, and Jotaro looked up just in time to see it fall, as Suki yanked him with all of her strength into her corridor, the sheet hitting the floor with a crash, "Spoiler alert: I think metal beats squishy human body," Rushing past him down the hall, she reached the staircase and ascended, Jotaro following close behind.

"So what were you saying earlier? About me asking if I was just a big idiot?"

"Yeah, you're not a big idiot…You're a little one."

"Gee, thanks for the words of encouragement."

 _Did…Did this jerk just say something_ nice _to me for once?_

Finally seeing the light at the end of the hallway, a loose sheet of metal threatened to fall on them, extending from the staircase, down the hall to the open doorway.

"W-we're not gonna make it!" The child shouted from Jotaro's shoulder. Suki stopped and opened the canteen in her bag.

"For once, Captain Obvious…" Gathering up the water into the shape of large, two-handed blade, she concluded,"You're dead wrong!"

Suki thrust the sword above her and caught the metal plate on the sword, stilling it for a few moments; however, her own strength would not be able to hold the entire piece of metal for long. Looking at Jotaro, she asked, "Hey, can you do that thing? That "ora ora" thing you did earlier? Launch it skyhigh!"

Needing no further instruction, Jotaro summoned his Stand, and with one mighty battle cry, the Stand punched the metal sheet up through the roof into the sky above, leaving a massive hole where the sheet once was. On any other day, Suki would have been awed by the sheer spectacle, but considering it was either that or actually getting off of the boat alive, she chose to fangirl about the situation later.

After what had seemed like hours, the three finally made it to the deck.

"Hey, those boats you used to get here still work, right?"  
"They should still be at the ramp."

Turning the corner to the ramp, Suki noticed the only boat occupied by anyone was the one closest to the ramp, and in it sat the other four men: One Strap Man, Hot Ebony, Foxy Grandpa, and Santa's Helper.

"There they are!" Santa's Helper exclaimed, a relieved smile gracing his features.

"Hurry it up, we've gotta go!" One Strap Man called out.

"Did you find yourself a girlfriend trapped in the boat, Jotaro?" Foxy Grandpa joked with a grin.

"No, old man, we'll explain later," Jotaro replied, jumping into the boat, setting the girl down. Looking behind him, he saw Suki glancing between the ramp and the boat that seemed way too far away.

"Just jump. I'll catch you," Jotaro reached out his arms. Seeing this, Suki nodded, her determination reignited.

"Wait, is she not one of the enemy Stand users?" Hot Ebony remarked from his seat in the boat. Jotaro turned his attention back to the man in order to respond,

"I don't think-"

As he felt a person collide with his chest, only then did Jotaro remember that he had offered to catch someone. Knocking not only the wind out of him, but also his sense of balance, the man fell backwards, landing on the seat in the boat, thankfully, but with the girl's head and hands on his chest, and one of her legs positioned _dangerously_ close to-

Suki looked up with a satisfied smile that was almost catlike.

"Heheh, I made it. Thanks for catching me."

For a fraction of a second, Suki could swear that his heart rate picked up.

A wolf whistle was heard behind Jotaro, as Suki craned her neck to see the source of the noise. One Strap Man.

"You don't think…what, Jotaro?" The silver-haired man asked teasingly, "'Cause I think you're thinking a lot of things right now, but not necessarily up here, heheheh," He teased, tapping his head.

Blowing out a sigh, Blue Eyes said, "Give me a break. Relationships don't happen overnight, Polnareff," He muttered, pushing Suki up to a standing position, "Can we just leave this freighter, already?"

"I agree," The girl chimed in, continuing with, "In regards to being girlfriend material, I am off the market. Sorry to disappoint you One- uh, Polnareff."

"Ah, Mon Dieu, someone already snapped a cutie like you up? That's a buzzkill!" Polnareff flirted. Unused to such compliments, Suki blushed harshly, covering her cheeks with her hands.

"Let her introduce herself before you start harassing her, Polnareff." Jotaro remarked.

"Whaaa? I'm not harassing her!"

"You really should think before you speak, Polnareff," The man in the red robe admitted with a small smile.

The other men chuckled as the silver-haired man only continued to get more flustered. Shifting her eyes to the distorting freighter, Suki saw it was shrinking down to a pitiful-looking rowboat.

"Come on, back me up! You know I wasn't…What are you looking at?" Polnareff asked upon seeing her gaze cast elsewhere. Upon following the direction of her eyes, his eyes widened at what he saw. He called everyone else's attention to the vessel collapsing in on itself.

"I-I can't believe it. The ship's shape is changing. It's turning into such a shoddy little boat…" Captain Obvious gawked at the mangling freighter, as its once lavish exterior faded into nonexistence. Suki's expression darkened a bit, wondering if the ape's freighter would ever drift among the waves again. She knew she'd be perfectly fine with never seeing the jerk ape again, but she still found death to be too harsh of a punishment for the deluded animal.

"Unbelievable…" Hot Ebony marveled, his expression one of disbelief, mirroring that of almost all of the other passengers, "So that monkey used its own Stand to get this far into the ocean. What terrifying power. That was the first time I've encountered such energy."

"We were completely overwhelmed," The old man brought a hand to his mouth in thought, "If Jotaro hadn't figured it out, we would have been done for." Focusing on listening to Foxy Grandpa's words, the girl dimly noticed Santa's Helper dragging a comb through his hair and Jotaro lighting a cigarette he had placed in his mouth, snapping the lighter shut in annoyance after failing to create an ember on the tip. The older Joestar continued gravely, musing to himself, but asking questions of import, "But are we going to encounter even more Stands with unknown powers from now on?"

"Want some gum?"

Distilling the anxiety of what lay ahead, One Strap Man held out a strip of Bellwood gum to the old man, already chewing one himself.

"So we're going to be drifting again." The red-robed man spoke disheartenedly.

"Good grief. My cigarettes are soaked," Jotaro muttered, having examined the pack he had pulled out from his pocket, replacing it in mild irritation.

"There'll be plenty of sun and time for them to get dry, Jojo," Polnareff reassured.

"We'll just have to pray that we get rescued and reach Singapore safely," The old man sat back with a slightly anxious face, as he continued in self-reflection, "It's been four days since we left Japan…"

"Actually…" Suki chimed in, immediately gathering the attention of the others in the boat, "We may not have to pray too much."

The rest of the group exchanged looks of confusion, as the girl tried to reassure herself.

 _I have to admit, I'm probably praying the most._ The girl thought, _Praying that this works._

"Oh, Knight!"

With a flourish, the watery figure emerged from behind the girl, twirling and bowing to her onlookers.

"Knight of Cups, meet…uhm…" Scratching her cheek in embarrassment, the youth realized, "Well, you probably want my introduction before you all introduce yourselves, right?" Joining her Stand's bow, she announced, with all of the stage presence of a renowned thespian, "I am Suki Kanao. Nice to meet you!"

…

Breaking the small silence that ensued, the red-haired man leaned over to the man with silver hair.

"You thought _that_ was a dolphin?" He murmured to One Strap Man, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Look, dolphins do tricks like that all the time! It passed the boat so fast, how was I supposed to tell the difference?"

"What sort of dolphins have you come in contact with?" Surprisingly, Jotaro spoke up with what sounded like an honest question.

"The ones at the aquarium!"

"Should've guessed."

"What do you-!"

Suki cleared her throat, trying to recapture everyone's attention.

"As far as I know, Knight can travel wherever there's water. I'll have her go out and scout in a circle around our position."

"What do you mean, 'as far as you know'?" The dark-skinned man piped up, folding his arms.

"Well…" Suki put a finger to her chin in thought, tilting her head, "The last time I checked to see how far out Knight could go, I blacked out. I haven't tried it since then, but I was really young at the time, so I'm sure we got stronger since then," Balling up a fist and dropping it into her hand, she continued, "And I was able to reach the boat you guys were on without even getting fuzzy! I mean, it's worth a shot, right?"

The men looked at each other. What they were silently debating was beyond any guess Suki could make at the moment, until they turned to her with eyes that spoke of…reliance?  
 _Do they… Do they trust me?_ She thought, _No, no, don't jump to conclusions. I'm their best bet at getting to Singapore, save for Lady Luck herself, so they probably don't have any other choice._

Turning to Knight with a smile, she asked, "Got all that, Knight?"

With a jovial nod, the Stand swan dove backwards into the water. Suki then seated herself cross-legged at the stern of the ship, closing her eyes as the colors of the underwater expanse flooded her vision once again.

* * *

As the Stand resurfaced far enough away that she could no longer see the small, lonely boat, Suki heard someone ask, presumably Santa's Helper, "Is she going to be alright?"

"I'll be just fine, thank you." She slowly spoke, pouring every ounce of concentration into seeing through her spirit. Unfortunately, her connection with her Stand, at least, from such a large distance, was not honed enough to allow her hearing to go along with the wraith on a consistent basis. On the bright side, in this situation, her lack of training her Stand's search range benefitted the girl, as she could still carry a conversation with her (accepting, she hoped) new allies.

Knight began to patrol the surrounding waters, turning her gaze back and forth as she scanned the horizons for any sign of non-aquatic life.

"I understand if you don't trust me yet, and you don't have to agree to this, but I think it would make it easier for us to communicate if I knew your names. I won't even ask to see your Stands."

 _Easier communication, in addition to stopping me from using these_ dumb nicknames, Suki thought, _Ugh, the more I've used them, the more grating they've become. Save for Blue Eyes, I like that one._

Blue Eyes spoke up first.

"You already know my name."  
With a small smile, the girl said, "Jotaro Kujo."

"And not Joestar."  
Suki sighed, "No, not Joestar. Wait, then why did Polnareff call you Jojo?"

It was Jotaro's turn to sigh as he explained glibly, "First syllable, first name. Last syllable, last name."

 _"Jo-taro, Ku-jo..."_ Her grin widened as she couldn't help herself from saying, "Aww, that's cute! I like it!"

"Don't…Don't call it cute."

 _Is he_ embarrassed? The youth thought, _Man, I wish I could see his face, get him back for how much he teased me._

"Jotaro, are you blushing?" The old man's voice reached Suki's ears with a teasing tone.

"Shut up, old man," Jotaro growled back at him.

"That voice is…Joestar, right? I've got the last name right this time?"

"Joestar. Joseph Joestar."

"I meant to respond earlier to your question, Mr. Joestar. About the other Stand users out there."

A slight pause, before Joseph responded grimly, "What about it?"

"To answer your question, yes, there are a lot of other Stand users, positioned in varying places between here and his mansion in Cairo."

The old man cursed under his breath.

"I should've expected this. Do you know how many?"  
"Uhh, c-could I get back to you on that? I'm really nervous about zonking out if I divert my attention too much. Sorry I brought it up."  
"Now, now, there's no need to apologize. We'll just get back to it later."

Suki sighed in relief. There was something reassuring about the way Mr. Joestar spoke to her, but she couldn't put her finger on what.

The voice of the man in the red robe spoke next.

"I am Mohammed Abdul. Are you certain you'll be able to stay conscious, having your Stand so far away from you?"

"Ah, well, that's the fun part. I know you may not trust me quite yet, but none of you strike me as the type to knock me up when I can't defend myself. Conscious or not."

A small silence ensued. Suki was confused as to why, until the Frenchman spoke up loudly again.

"Oh, come _on,_ you guys, how many times do I have to make the same point, that flirting with someone and _doing…that_ kind of thing to them are completely different!"

"You are the silver-haired man…Polnareff?"  
"Jean Pierre Polnareff, at your service, mademoiselle. Please, let me know if you get tired. I'm perfectly willing to give you a massage to liven you back up!"

A sigh was heard before the voice of the red-haired man spoke.

"Before I go on, I'd like to mention that my name is Noriaki Kakyoin," Clearly directing his attention to Polnareff, he criticized disdainfully, "Now then, I think we've all had enough of you putting the moves on this girl. Don't you think she's just a _little_ too young for you?"

"You guys clearly haven't had enough women in your life. This 'girl' looks about a year older than you and Jotaro, at the very least."

"Well, I don't know what 'women' you cavort with on a regular basis," Kakyoin shot back, "But you might need to have your eyes checked. Jotaro and I are third-year high school students, while this girl looks-"

 _"Wait!_ Back up!" The force of such a revelation nearly forced Knight all the way back to her user like a taut rubber band snapping, "You two are in your third year of _high school?!_ You're a whole _year_ younger than me?!"

Jotaro spoke up, clearly surprised, "A…A year younger?"

"I'm eighteen! I mean, I know I don't look it, but I am!"

"You…I-I mean…I, uhm," Kakyoin stammered, completely flustered by this discovery.

Joseph snickered, "Pot calling the kettle black, right, Abdul?"

"Indeed, Mr. Joestar," Abdul responded with a chuckle.

"See, this just proves that you should have more faith in my smarts, Kakyoin."

"Yes, I see," A pause. "When it comes to women."

"That's _it_?!"  
Perhaps Suki had gotten too wrapped up in listening to the banter of the five men, as, seemingly from nowhere, a large boat had snuck in front of Knight, almost causing her to crash.

 _Freighters don't sneak!_

"Guys, I found a boat!" Suki cried out, as the conversation the men had been having immediately silenced in order to focus their attention on what the girl had to say, "It's a freighter… Okay, what do I do now?"

"You…You sent your Stand out into the middle of the ocean without a plan?" Abdul asked in disbelief.

"Heheh, uh, I kind of had a plan."

"Which was?"  
"Find a boat."

Wracking her brain for answers and finding nothing, Suki quibbled inwardly, _Crap crap crap what do I do now?_

"Suki, it's alright. You don't have to be nervous," Her anxiety must have been obvious on her face, because Kakyoin, clearly having recovered from his flustered episode, spoke calmly, yet firmly, "What direction is the ship heading?"  
"It's heading in our direction, I think… It's turned in our direction, anyways… Either way…" Pulling her sight back to herself, she stood up, took her telescope from her bag, and scanned the horizons. Just to make sure, she had Knight splash about as much as she could. Not able to see her Stand after examining in a circle, she surmised, "I think they might not be able to see us."

"Alright, then, how can we rectify that?"  
"Uh…hmm…" She delved into the deepest recesses of her mind she could reach.

 _Think, what would Big Bro do…?_

 _He would…I think…he would…_

 _"Think on your head. What sounds insane just might work."_

"Okay, I've got it!" Directing her attention to command her Stand valiantly, she crowed, "Knight! Get close to that ship and make some noise!"

"You have a plan, then, Miss Kanao?" Abdul asked again.

"A crazy one, but if we want to get to Singapore, it's all we've got!"

* * *

The ship had stopped at a midway dockyard that was obscured from Knight. The location of said dockyard was considered by many to be incredibly inconvenient, so its removal was scheduled to take place within the next year. Atop the stationary massive oil freighter stood two men on the deck, clearly in the middle of their break. Both were of similar size, much smaller than the Joestars' group, but looked old enough to be in college. One had a sprightly gleam in his azure eyes and a short, clean, blond mop of hair, while the other had unkempt brown locks and bags under his almost black eyes, carrying a sickly air about him.

"So, you know what Mona Lisa told the police when she was arrested?"

"Johnson, I don't think that's what happened…"  
"Come on, Willy, go with it! You'll love it, I promise."  
The brunette, Willy, sighed, "Fine. What did she tell the police when she was arrested?"

"That she'd been framed."

…

"Honestly, Johnson, I have half a mind to jump into the sea right now, with all of these stupid jokes you make," Willy dismissively cast his gaze into the frenetic waters slapping against the boat.

"But, Willy, you can't swim."

Johnson awaited his comrade's response, but became confused at Willy's expression, increasing in alarm. Willy grasped white-knuckled onto the railing as he looked down, his face growing pale.

"Willy, what's-"

"There's…There's someone in the water! I think they're drowning!" The sailor shouted, "W-we have to… I have to…" His pupils shook as he gazed into the relentless abyss of blue, beginning to glisten in the slowly rising sun.

"It's okay, buddy," Johnson slapped his partner on the back. He pointed to himself with his thumb, flashing a winning grin, revealing his one chipped tooth, "Just let your good ol' Johnson handle this."

Shakily nodding, Willy stammered back, "I-I'm going with you as far as I can, though!"

"Don't push yourself, I'll be fine."  
"I'm not pushing, I want to make sure you don't drown yourself, idiot! The sea isn't one big kiddie pool!"

Sighing, Johnson gave in.

"Alright, but only go down the ramp as far as you feel safe, got it?"

Willy nodded.

A few minutes later, the ramp on the other side of the freighter had been lowered, allowing Johnson to make it down to where the figure that Willy had seen was splashing around. Willy, on the other hand, slowly but surely crawled down the ramp, holding onto the railing as though it were a lifeline.

"You see him, Johnson?" Willy cried out.

Johnson examined the water closely, life preserver in hand, ready to jump in, only to see the water…calm. The sea was never calm, but, compared to the previous splashing he and his mate had seen, there was…nothing.

As Johnson peered closely into the waves, squatting to get a better look, Willy tried to do the same, standing up on shaky legs and white-knuckling the railing. All he could see was not a person.

What he saw was a set of ghostly, placid eyes, staring straight at Johnson.

In a flash, a clear figure attached to those eyes launched out of the sea, grabbed Johnson, and pulled him back into the water with him with a sickening splash. A moment passed. Seeing bubbles emerge from the water, Willy stood up straighter, ready to pounce in after his friend.

"J-Johnson…?"

Johnson resurfaced with a gasp, flailing about as he was dragged away. The life preserver had been shoved onto his body, preventing him from drowning, but this did not solve the problem of Johnson slowly getting dragged further and further away.

"W-Willy! Go get help! Something's got me! I can't see it, but it's pulling me away from the ship! Heeeeeeeeeeeeeelp!"

Trembling, Willy looked to the figure dragging the helpless Johnson away.

It winked at him cheerily.

Turning and rushing up the stairs, all Knight heard as she dragged her hapless captive back to the dinghy was, "Captain, come help! The ocean's got him! The ocean's trying to eat Johnson!"

* * *

"Oh my God!" Joseph yelled as Knight came back into view, Johnson in tow, and, further behind, the freighter, in hot pursuit, "Suki, what is this?!"

"Uh…It's a man who has come to help save us, and take us to Singapore!"  
Johnson turned upon hearing another voice besides his own, and yelped at the men in the boat.

"Please, help me! I think some critter thinks I'm fish food, but I can't see it!"

Rolling his eyes, Jotaro muttered, "Good grief," before leaning over and yanking the poor man out of the water.

"Oh, thank-"

Jotaro punched the sailor's lights out before he could breathe another word.

"Jotaro!" Joseph reprimanded his grandson. The thug turned back and looked at him under the brim of his cap.

"What?"

"What do you mean, 'what'? You don't just punch someone like that!"

"He had to fall asleep somehow, so we could just tell him this was all a dream later."

"Oh my God…" Joseph covered his eyes with a hand, groaning.

"So, this was the plan you had come up with, Miss Kanao?" Abdul asked pointedly, although she swore she saw his lips quirk up for the smallest instant, perhaps finding some enjoyment in the raucous argument between the Joestars.

"I-I couldn't think of any other way to get them to follow us!"  
"To be fair, she _did_ warn us that this plan would be crazy," Kakyoin chimed in, "However, how crazy it would end up being, she did niot explain."

"While I do not approve of you scaring the daylights out of this poor bystander, at least we won't be adrift for much longer," Abdul admitted.

"Yeah, we've been rescued, _and_ no one got hurt!" Polnareff added, "…Too much."  
"See, if he'd been awake, we couldn't have talked about this," Jotaro retorted.

"Jotaro, how did I raise Holly to raise you like this?!"

"Ask her when we get back. I don't know how you raised her."

"Why, you-!"

"I presume you all are the ones who played this prank?"

At the top of the ramp of the freighter that had coasted next to the dinghy stood a bellowing figure, adorned in captain's attire. He had a thick brown beard and bushy eyebrows to match. The physique of this man paled in comparison to the Joestars, but he was still much larger than Suki's captive or the sickly-looking man behind him.

"I must admit, I have no idea how you lot managed to drag one of my crew members to this location from so far away, and yet, here we are," The man continued loudly, clomping down the stairs in his heavy black boots, his voice rising, despite the fact that he was getting closer, "So, who do I have to reprimand for endangering the life of my crew member and taking my vessel off course?!"

The group exchanged worried looks. They would have to give the man _some_ answer, but what?

Suki meekly raised her hand and stepped forward. Her head was slightly bowed in shame as she admitted her guilt.

"I-I'm sorry, it was my idea. It's just…" As she spoke, her voice wavered and her shoulders quivered slightly, "Ou-our boat crashed on the way to Singapore, and we've been drifting for I don't know how long. I'm sorry…" The girl sniffled, as tears began to spill onto her cheeks. She rubbed her eyes with her feebly clenched fists, trying to stop the waterworks. An uncomfortable silence followed, before the captain finally responded,

"Well, we'll have to go back to the dockyard to finish doing an inventory check, but, you guys are lucky we were headed to Singapore anyway."

With a pitiful sniff, Suki looked up with glassy eyes, "Do you…Do you mean we can…?"

The captain sighed and spoke, "Yes, just get on the boat before I change my mind."

"Th-thank you, sir!"

With that, the captain spun on his heel and marched back up the ramp, as his crew mate shouldered Johnson, periodically casting glances back at the group of men in the dinghy. As the leader disappeared onto the boat, the men turned to look back at the crying girl. Before any of them could speak up, Suki opened her eyes and looked at the ramp. Upon seeing the captain's absence, she wiped the remainder of her tears away with the palm of her hand, her mouth widening into a smirk. She giggled mischievously.

"Wait, you were faking?" Polnareff asked.

Stepping onto the ramp, Suki looked back with glistening eyes, "To tell the truth, I'm a bit of a crybaby. I wasn't faking being upset about angering him, I just… can't hold back sometimes, you know?" Scratching the back of her neck, she continued, "I'm just surprised that that worked!"

Taking the first few steps up the ramp, the girl turned to see if the others were going to follow.

"Well, come on! The captain might change his mind any second, and I'm not leaving without you guys!"

The rest of the group exchanged glances, before finally stepping onto the boat. One thing was clear in each of their minds.

This new team member was certainly one-of-a-kind.

* * *

Chapter One – I'm on a Boat

-END-

|To Be Continued|\|/

* * *

 **Many of you may notice that Jotaro does talk more in this story than he ever really does in the manga or anime. There is a reason for this. In addition, due to Suki adding a bit of something new to the group dynamic, some of the characters have had slight artistic liberties taken with them. Not that any attributes are taken away, far from it, but some small ones are added, ones which I felt would be in line with the characters' established personalities and backstories. If you are able to put up with me and my nonsense for just a little while longer, I guarantee that answers will come in due time. With that said, I will be back next week with Chapter 2! - BlueBow**


	3. Chapter 2 - You've Got a Friend in Me

**WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by another warning right beforehand, and another line right where the explicit scene ends. You have been warned.**

* * *

"Uhm, Miss?" Suki stopped on her way down to the cabins below deck, as she had been called out by the sickly-looking sailor.

"Oh, you're one of the crew members who met us at the ramp," Turning fully towards the male, she showed her teeth in a sheepish grin as she put her hands together in an apologetic gesture, "Sorry again about all the trouble I caused."  
"That ghost…Did you make it take Johnson?"

Suki froze.

 _He can see Stands? That means…_

Answering his question with one of her own, after making sure no one was listening in, she whispered, "Does the name 'Dio' mean anything to you?"

The man tilted his head in confusion, folding his arms in thought, "That means 'god' in Italian, right? If you're referring to a specific person, then, no, I don't know any 'Dio.'"

Suki nodded, inwardly relieved. After working so long for Dio, she had caught on to a trending involuntary action in each of his followers. All lackeys who swore allegiance to the monster would get a sparkle in their eyes whenever his name was mentioned, and not a normal kind of glimmer that betrayed human excitement. No, this involuntary glisten could be likened to an instinct-driven animal finding a meal after weeks of famine. No light shined in the dark irises of the sailor when the girl mentioned the vampire's name, so the girl could safely conclude that he did not have faith in the monster, much like she had concluded with Whit.

"I'll answer your question, with this. Knight of Cups!" Suki called out Knight behind her, as the wraith nodded to the man. He took a step back, startled by the ease at which she summoned the spirit to her side.

"So, you see them too… And not only that, you can _control_ one!"

Coming back from the cabins to see what was taking Suki so long, Joseph rounded the corner to see her and the sickly crew member having a serious conversation. He backpedaled, pressing his back against the metal wall and listening in.

"Do you not know what a Stand is, Mr…?"

"Brent Wilson. Call me Willy. And uh, no, what is a Stand?"

Looking back to her own Stand with a reflective gaze, she shifted her attention back to Willy.

"A Stand is a manifestation of one's own fighting spirit. Always standing by the side of its user, hence the name. But, to me, at least, they're more than just tools for fighting," Suki looked back to Knight of Cups, the Stand smiling with her eyes and floating in playful circles around her user, "They're extensions of their users, yes, but they're also companions, in battle and out of it. Anytime I couldn't reassure myself of something, Knight would always be there for me. It's… difficult for me to put into words, but I know we put trust in our Stands for more reasons than just their utility."

Joseph was awestruck by the girl's words. He summoned Hermit Purple, examining the thorny violet vines twisting their way around his wrist and fingers. In the short time he had spent learning about and using his own Stand, he had never truly thought about what connection he had with the spectral tendrils. Perhaps it was because his Stand lacked a face with which to express emotion. No matter which way he looked at it, Joseph couldn't help admitting that this was a topic worth considering, and not just from his point of view. With a contemplative smile, he walked further back down the hall so he could lead Suki back to the cabins, where the others were waiting.

"If you can see Stands, Willy, then you should have one of your own…right?"

Willy gulped, twiddling his thumbs nervously.

"I-I _have_ been followed by this ghost for the past few months… How do I…?"  
"Just call out to it," The girl said with a gentle smile, "It wouldn't be called a Stand if it didn't always stand by your side."

Nodding, Willy closed his eyes. Slowly, a figure with a flowing black scarf that covered his mouth phased into existence. The blue shade of the wraith was as dark as a night sky with no moon. His glistening yellow bug-like eyes served to be that sky's only stars. The Stand exuded a dark aura, coming off of the figure in wispy strands, complementing his menacing hooked fingers and scraggly antennae. Unlike the opaque, well-defined Stands that she had seen from the others in her group, this Stand was slightly fuzzy and somewhat transparent. Looking behind him at the shadow, he jumped slightly, clearly not expecting the spirit to appear.

"Neat! Do you know what he does?"

"Uhm, no. I just learned _what_ he was," The man rubbed his head, trying to let all of this new info sink in.

"Well, I'm sure you'll learn what he can do. It's a little bit of trial and error in some places, but if you just try and do what feels right, you'll figure it out," Putting her hand on his shoulder, beckoning him closer, after making sure no one was listening, the girl murmured, "Just be on the hush-hush about this. Not everyone has a Stand, as much fun as that would be."

With a parting smile, Suki turned and walked down the hall. Willy turned to get back to his shift, before he stopped upon hearing his name.

"You should really think about giving that Stand of yours a name," Looking over her shoulder, Suki gave a lopsided grin, "Every companion needs a name, after all."

With that, she continued down the hall to the cabins.

"Wait! I don't even know your name!"  
Suki stopped once again. Thinking for a moment, she turned and spoke.

"Suki. Suki Kanao," She closed her eyes and smiled, as she continued, "Nice to meet you!"

* * *

"Ah, Mr. Joestar!" Suki called out, seeing the old man leaning against the metal wall further down the hallway, she picked up into a running pace. He looked up upon hearing his name and lifted himself off of the wall. Arriving in front of him, she twirled a strand of hair in her fingers as she apologized, "Sorry for keeping you all waiting!"  
"Don't worry about it. Everyone's this way," With a point, he began to make his way down the hallway, with Suki keeping pace. For a time, all that could be heard was the sound of footsteps echoing through the dimly lit hall.

"So, that man is a Stand user?"

Suki bit her lip, hoping this conversation would not lead down the path she thought it would go.

"Yeah. He only just found out though."

Looking at the girl out of the corner of his eye, he asked, "And you believe him?"  
"I…Yeah," She paused, before continuing, "I-It's alright if you guys don't trust me yet."  
Joseph cupped his chin in his hand in thought. "I do remember Jotaro mentioning something you said, about being one of Dio's lackeys. We can talk about it as a group when we get back to the cabin."  
At this, Suki raised her eyebrows. Talk _about it?_ She thought, _I thought these guys were all 'punch first, ask questions later'…_

"Here's the cabin," Joseph stated, upon reaching a thick metal door. Opening the door, the two were greeted with a cozy, perhaps too much so, cabin. The porthole allowed for the light of the early morning sun to seep into what would otherwise be a very poorly lit room. In front of the tiny window sat a minimalist couch built for three in front of a small table, somehow stabilized on top of the shoddy carpet. Squeezed directly between the simple green bed pushed into the corner of the room and the couch stood a nightstand that was completely dwarfed in size compared to the cabin's occupants. Situated across the small room was a desk with a wooden chair in front of it. Directly next to the door leading to the hallway was another door, presumably leading into a bathroom.

"We're back," Joseph announced, the other four men and Anne looking up upon hearing the door squeal open. Polnareff sat on the couch, leaning on his elbow on the table, with Abdul sitting with his arms folded directly beside him. Kakyoin was situated on the bed, fiddling with his one stray lock of hair, as Jotaro sat next to him with his arms crossed behind his head as he leant back against the wall. He closed his eyes again after acknowledging the entrance of the two, as if falling asleep. Anne sat next to him with her hands in her lap. Thankfully, the freighter crew had been kind enough to give the child new clothes, surprisingly identical to the outfit she had been wearing when she first boarded Strength.

Realizing something, she turned to Anne and clasped her hands.

"Before I forget, I'm sorry about that stuff I said before. That was uncalled for," Grinning sheepishly, she continued, "I mean, I know you don't have a Stand, but I shouldn't be making assumptions about how much you've helped the group, when I've only known you for half as long."

The child raised her eyebrows, before turning and pouting, muttering, "Yeah, it _was_ uncalled for."

As Joseph pulled the chair out from the desk, Suki looked about, trying to see if she could find a place to sit. There was a small space next to Abdul, but not nearly enough room for her to be situated comfortably, unless she squeezed right up next to him. The girl was certain that that would be comfortable for neither of them.

"Why don't you let her have your seat?"

Anne turned to Jotaro with a surprised expression. The thug hadn't even opened his eyes to pipe in.

"Wha? Why should I move?"  
"I can think of a few reasons. Plus…" Opening his eyes and pointing to the couch, "You would fit just fine there. She wouldn't."

"Uhm, it's fine, I can just sit on the floor…" Suki twirled her index fingers around each other, as though rolling thread up in a loop, in a gesture of slight anxiety.

"What, are you afraid of sitting by me?" Jotaro deadpanned, but the teasing nature of the remark was not lost on Suki.  
"Pfft, no, I just-"

"Ugh, _fine,"_ Anne threw her hands down, pushing herself off the bed in a huff, "I can tell when I'm not wanted. Jeez." With that, the small child stormed out of the room, slamming the heavy metal door behind her. Well, more like she tried and failed to push the door closed in the first place, and marched herself down the hall to the nearest next-door cabin.

Chuckling nervously, Suki admitted, "I feel kinda bad… But, I think it's better that she doesn't listen to what we're talking about. I wouldn't want her to feel left out of understanding what we were talking about."

"One who knows nothing can understand nothing, as they say," Abdul added.

"Well, alright, now we're all settled in," Suki stated, finally sitting next to Jotaro. All eyes were on her, and the girl couldn't help feeling a little bit nervous under so many gazes. She felt like a bacterium being examined under a microscope, as the men waited patiently for her to begin speaking. With an awkward clearing of her throat, the girl offered, "I'd like to leave the floor to you guys. Ask me anything you want to know."

Joseph spoke up first, "Well, you said you worked for Dio, but now you're here willingly with us. What changed your mind?"

"I wasn't doing his bidding of my own free will," Suki's expression darkened, as she reflected upon her family history. "Dio…right from his reentrance into the world, he took us for granted, acting like it was our destiny to serve him," Taking a deep breath and exhaling, she looked each of the members of the group in the eye as she told her story.

"Mr. Joestar, how much do you know of your grandfather's history with Dio? As Jonathan grew up with Dio, I mean."

"Hmm…" Joseph crossed his arms, deep in thought as he recalled the stories Granny Erina would tell him about her late husband's early life. "Dio made life hell for him, as far as I know. I was told by my grandma that his friend Speedwagon had to carry him to the hospital, after the Joestar mansion was burned down."

"Mmhmm," Suki nodded, adding to the recollection, "That fateful night, when Dio rejected his humanity, Jonathan had exposed a plot that his adopted brother had put into motion to kill George Joestar, their father. This plot involved a man of Asian descent by the name of Wang Chan, as he had been the one giving Dio access to the poison used to slowly murder George Joestar. That night, as the estate went up in flames, all of the housemaids and butlers that had worked at the mansion their whole lives, and the doctors and officers Jonathan had recruited to keep his dad safe, fled in different directions. One housemaid ran through the neighboring woods, towards her own home; however, she was ambushed by Wang Chan.  
"That woman…was my great grandmother."

The girl's eyes dropped, as she examined her clasped hands in her lap, tensing them as she recalled Eleanor Gold's story. For how harrowing it was, Ellie only told Suki the story once. As far as she knew, she only needed to be told once, as she would never forget the only time she ever saw her great grandma cry.

"I don't know why he did what he did, but the point is that Wang Chan ended up serving Dio later down the line, and my grandmother was born because of what he did before he ended up serving that monster completely," Suki put her hands on either side of herself and bunched up the sheet in her clenching fists, as she muttered aggressively, "He only makes up about an eighth of our blood, and yet that monster still feels entitled to us."

"He didn't ask your mother first? She's closer to Wang Chan in terms of where she is on the family tree, isn't she?" Abdul queried.

"He did, but…" Her voice cracked as she explained, "My brother took her place, after some negotiating."

"Negotiation doesn't seem like a word that exists in Dio's vocabulary…" Abdul was skeptical, as he put a hand to his chin.

"Well, it was less negotiating, and more of him saying how a young, sprightly nineteen-year-old man would be of more use to Dio in the long run than a forty-odd year-old woman with back problems. Plus, women, for the most part, if they serve no use to him, are just more mouths to feed."

"All right, but your brother went off to serve Dio, not you. Where do you fit in?" Polnareff asked, leaning forward and supporting his weight with his arms on the table.

"My big brother went to serve Dio, and he kept in weekly contact with us as he did for a whole year," Suki paused. She certainly did not like recalling the anxiety she felt upon losing contact with him, "Then, suddenly, we didn't hear from him for a month. I got suspicious, and went to Dio's mansion, but all he told me was that my brother went off to do field work. He then asked if I wanted to work there in my brother's stead. Thinking it was the only way to get answers on where my brother disappeared to, I agreed to it. A few months of that went by, and I was honestly starting to feel like there was no hope of him telling me what I wanted to know, no matter how much he trusted me," Her eyes, dark and empty as she laid her plight bare, glimmered as she looked up at the men giving all of their attention to her, her voice increasing in excitement, "But then, I learned that you guys were on your way to _fight_ Dio! No matter your reason for coming out here, I honestly felt like I had a better chance of learning what happened to my brother if I teamed up with you guys instead! So, I told him I would join you guys as a double agent and lead you to him, when I actually planned on fighting as a full-fledged ally of yours! I mean, if you'll have me." The youth concluded, placing a hand on her cheek and grinning sheepishly.

There was a small pause before Kakyoin spoke, "I admire your enthusiasm, but how sure are you that he'll give you the answers you want?"

Suki took a small breath, before replying, "Honestly? Not very. But…" Suddenly, the girl stood up straight, raised her arms up and brought her clenched fists down in front of her chest, in a determined gesture, fire burning behind her eyes, as she addressed everyone in the room in a commanding tone, "Even if I don't learn where he is, I'll take any chance I can get to stop Dio from using the world as a blood-ridden playground!"

A tense silence followed, as all of the Stardust Crusaders looked at the standing girl with wide eyes. Even Jotaro had an expression of mild interest. Waiting for a response that would never come, as she looked at each of the members of the group in turn, Suki finally swallowed, cleared her throat, and sat back down. Continuing quietly, she said with a slight blush, "I wanna stop him from toying with people's lives, but I can't do it myself… I…" She looked down at her hands with an empty expression, that, as long as they had known her, seemed completely uncharacteristic of the loud, bubbly youth, "I hate to admit it, but neither Knight nor myself is geared to take him down."

After a moment of quiet, Abdul responded to Suki's statement.

"Having encountered Dio myself, I must say it is a bold action to double-cross him like this. Even being in his presence for less than a minute made me more frightful than I've ever been in my life."

Kakyoin turned to Suki with a curious look in his eyes as he questioned, "I found it difficult to remain firm in Dio's presence, even though it was only a few minutes. How did you manage to serve him for so long with an ulterior motive?"

"Well, uh, heheh, that's a good question," The girl blathered, scratching the back of her head in slight embarrassment, "I…kind of…don't know?"

Speaking up for the first time since Anne left, Jotaro stated blandly, "Gee, that sounds familiar."

Suki turned to the student beside her and stuck her tongue out childishly, retorting, "Well, it's the truth!" Shifting her attention back to the whole group, she put her finger on her chin and looked up at the ceiling, as though expecting to see the answer written there, "I mean, there are people who have risen up against Dio before. Not necessarily successfully, but the fact that they tried means his influence _isn't_ all-encompassing, like he would want everyone to think," An image of the blond flight attendant with the eerie grin Suki had encountered a few days prior came to mind as she spoke.

 _I hope he's doing alright…_ The youth thought.

"Hmm…With charisma like his, it's honestly surprising that anyone could even think of turning on him," Joseph mused, leaning back in his seat, his eyes contemplative.

Suki shook her head at this, "It's more than just charisma, Mr. Joestar. Charisma is a big part of his intimidation factor, yes, but it's more than that. He's smart, too," Leaning forward and resting her head in her hand and her elbow on her knee, looking at the floor in thought, she continued analytically, "I can't tell you how many times he's discussed the specifics of human nature with me or with one of his followers," Casting her eyes up briefly to see some of the men exchanging befuddled glances, she took a moment before returning her gaze to its original direction, "I realize it sounds pretentious, but starting a philosophical discussion with anyone, no matter who the audience is, displays incredible intellectual depth. Knowledge is a valuable commodity in this world. People gravitate towards intelligence: man's desire to learn only causes him to flock to others in pursuit of knowledge."

Suki leant back and nibbled on her thumb in anxious thought, "He uses his charisma and his intelligence in tandem to trap unsuspecting innocents. His understanding of the human condition is terrifying. Even if you only have to speak with him for a few minutes, it feels like hours," Looking up, the youth noticed that everyone in the room was staring at her with rapt attention, as though listening to a ghost story at a campfire, "You feel like you walked into a bear trap, and it's only a matter of time before it snaps shut on you. But you don't know when, and you don't know how. He waits until you're at your most vulnerable, then -BAM!" At this, Suki sharply clapped her hands together to simulate the trap snapping shut, unintentionally causing Polnareff, Abdul, and Kakyoin to jump in their seats. Joseph flinched and winced, giving a reaction that wasn't nearly as dramatic as the three men. Jotaro's placid eyes showed no evidence of being startled; however, what could be found in them was, from as far as Suki could tell, a form of morbid curiosity.

Folding her arms, the girl sighed, "Honestly, I have no idea how I managed to avoid the influence of either of Dio's crippling traits, but I would be perfectly fine with saying that it was all luck. It wouldn't be any more surprising than how one guy could gain so much intellect while spending a century in a bedazzled coffin."

"Maybe that century was spent in self-contemplation," Joseph thought aloud, "One hundred years is a long time for anyone, especially at the bottom of the ocean, alone."

"Could we shift to a different topic?" Kakyoin piped up, clearly still a bit shaken by their previous discussion, "I had a question I'd been thinking about, about something you said earlier, Suki."  
The girl nodded to the red-head.

"Go ahead."  
"You said earlier, 'Neither Knight nor myself is geared to take him down.' What did you mean by that?"

"Well, I guess now would be as good a time as any," Silently summoning Knight of Cups, as the spirit phased into focus, Suki turned to her and said, "Let's show 'em what you can do, yeah?"

Knight nodded with excited eyes. The girl opened her canteen resting within her pack, relieved to see it still contained enough water for the demonstration. Thinking through her options, she decided she would need a lovely assistant.

"Joseph, could you please hold out your hand?"

The old man acquiesced, "Sure, but what fo-!"

In the blink of an eye, Suki had created a watery survival knife in her hand and slashed through Joseph's wrist. His arm flew back from the hit, as he yelled in pain. The next second, Joseph gave a wail of surprise, his gloved hand having disappeared from his arm.

"M-My hand…"

Suki's eyes widened in alarm. She whipped her attention behind her upon hearing the table squeal disapprovingly as Abdul stood up forcefully, his expression contorting in anger as his eyes flared like an inferno. Polnareff sat immobile on the couch, mouth agape in shock, as Kakyoin had rocketed to his feet at the same pace as Abdul, though with an expression that leaned more towards concern than anger. Jotaro did not seem to react in any way to the clamor.

"I-I-I-!" Suki stammered. _How…How?! My Stand…_ Breaking out of her thoughts, she turned to Knight of Cups in panic, the Stand's irises mirroring the startled shakiness of her user.

"…it's…it's…" Joseph examined his arm. Then, seemingly from nowhere, he pulled out his fist, pushing out each of his fingers until he was looking at his open palm a fair distance from his face, "…still there."

The stunned silences experienced in the past twenty-four hours did not compare in the slightest to how star struck everyone was in that moment.

"Just a little joke," Joseph admitted, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

"I-You…I mean, that-why-" Suki took a deep breath, and exhaled, before deciding to continue, "Fucking what?!"  
"Good grief, old man. You _want_ everyone to die of heart attack?" Jotaro remarked, despite sounding perfectly calm himself.

"Aw, come on, it was only a joke, it's not like anyone got hurt!" Joseph tried to defend himself. As everyone else seemed to calm down from their collective shock, Suki's lips pulled into a frown, as she looked like she was about to cry.

"Well, something in her is broken, I can tell you that. Not cool, old man," Suki looked back at the thug with puppy-dog eyes. He turned his attention to the sad girl beside him, holding out his hand, "Look, if you need a test dummy, I know how your Stand works. I know I'll actually take it seriously."

Looking up at Jotaro, her eyes glistening as though he had rescued her from certain danger, Suki nodded and smiled.

"Okay, Jotaro!"  
"Ah, Suki, it was just a prank! You can forgive me for that, right?" Joseph tried to redeem himself, but was rewarded with Suki pushing her lip out in a pout as she made another water knife, a smaller one this time.

"Maybe."

Abdul sighed, with a tenseness in the muscles on his forehead even visible underneath his headdress, "I believe the woman has reason for holding a grudge, Mr. Joestar."

Joseph nervously chuckled, having realized that the joke he made had been funny to no one in the room. Meanwhile, Suki took Jotaro's outstretched hand and slid the blade against his upturned index finger. The student's face twitched slightly, the only indication that he had experienced any pain. The other four men took notice that, even though a weapon had been created through the Stand, and that same weapon had been used to cut Jotaro's finger, there was no sign of injury.

"It hurt, right?" Suki asked her willing assistant.

"Yeah, like a papercut."

"But you saw that the knife didn't do anything. Once you noticed that, the pain went away, right?"

"Right, like what happened on the oil freighter."

Turning to her audience, she segued, "Now, taking that into account…" She pulled out a small box of Band-Aids from her bag, and turned to her lovely assistant once more, "Could you please call out your Stand?"

Nodding, he summoned the spirit that he had fought beside on Forever's freighter. Finally being able to examine his Stand in a calmer setting, Suki marveled at the violet, Adonis-like figure of the Stand, adorned with a red scarf, gold pauldrons and elbow guards, black armbands and fingerless gloves, the gloves decorated with small golden studs, not dissimilar to the buttons on Jotaro's trenchcoat. On his head sat a shining gold headband to match his pieces of armor, combing back a luscious mane of long flowing black locks. What stood out the most to Suki was, not only was this the most humanoid Stand she had ever seen, but also that it shared the same piercing blue gaze of his user. That, and…

"Are you done gawking?"  
Blinking, Suki realized that she had clearly been examining Jotaro's Stand with a finer toothed comb than she ever needed.

"I-I was just…uhm…" Coming up with an excuse on the spot, not entirely unrelated to her previous observations, she began to ask, "I'm just a bit confused. I get why your Stand, uhm…"  
"Star Platinum."  
"Ah, okay. I get why Star Platinum has different pieces of armor on, but what's the loincloth for?"

Jotaro merely raised an eyebrow.

"I-I'm just curious, is all," Suki scratched her cheek in embarrassment.

"Okay, I'll answer your question if you answer mine."  
"Alright, shoot."

"Why doesn't your Stand have a mouth?"

Suki thought for a moment. Guessing she could get the best answer straight from the source, she asked, "Knight, why _don't_ you have a mouth?"

Knight seemed a bit shocked by the question. She then adopted a thoughtful stance, tilting her head back and forth as she folded her arms. Finally, her eyes turned sheepish as she shrugged. Looking back from her Stand to the man beside her, Suki laughed nervously. Expecting a biting response, the girl was shocked when Jotaro merely shrugged his shoulders and acted as if the conversation hadn't happened.

"What do you want Star Platinum to do?"

"Uh, well…" Feeling a bit nervous asking someone else's Stand to perform a task, she looked up to the purple figure and spoke tepidly, "Star Platinum, could you please hold out your hand?"  
With a nod, the Stand held his own hand out. Performing the same action that she had done to his user, Star Platinum had the same reaction to the pain; however, this time, a small cut appeared on Jotaro's finger, mirroring the one on his own Stand's finger. The user's eyebrows raised in interest. Blood began to seep out of the small wound, as Suki quickly went to work to dress the wound. As she pulled out a tissue she had wet with water from her canteen, Jotaro pulled his hand away. Suki's expression became hurt, until the student spoke.

"Relax, it's just a little cut. It won't kill me."

"I know it won't. I'm just fixing the mess I made," The girl reached over Jotaro's lap and pulled his hand back over to her as she began to clean the wound.

"What an intriguing Stand…" Abdul remarked, raising his hand to his chin in thought, "Knight of Cups only causes physical wounds to the user if its weapons make contact with the opponent's Stand. If the weapons make contact with the opposing user, the pain of the wound is felt, but no physical wound is created."  
"And if the 'injured' area is examined, only for no wound to be discovered, the pain goes away, right?" Polnareff added.

"That part…can be a bit iffy," Suki finally let go of Jotaro's hand, having finished bandaging the wound. "What I mean by that is, the way I see it, whenever Knight hurts someone with a weapon, their brain immediately tells them, 'you've been hurt;' however, some people are able to see Knight's weapon coming, and be able to build defense, as it were. They tell themselves, 'that's not a weapon, it can't hurt me,' and, because of that, the user recovers from the blow faster than they normally would, or they might not even feel the pain. Granted, I fortunately haven't come across anyone who is in the latter camp, but Dio could very well be there. Heck, when I was testing Knight's abilities out for the first time, I found there are even people who _can't_ convince themselves that they haven't been hurt physically."

"So, it's a Stand that preys on psychological weaknesses…" Kakyoin mused, twirling his stray strand of hair.

"But wait, there's more!" Suki exclaimed, holding out a finger. Made nervous by everyone's attention latching on to her, "Uhm, well, it's actually a skill best showcased in battle. Sorry about that…What I can do, though…!" Suki clasped her hands together, and summoned her Stand. Knight floated directly behind her user, as she began to make a small humming noise.

"Now, you guys are all gonna hear a weird ringing in your ears. I need you to let it in."

Sure enough, shortly after she spoke, a low buzz was felt in each of the men's ears. One by one, each of the members of the group allowed the sound in, their ears popping uncomfortably as they did so. After each of them had accepted the ringing, Suki opened her eyes and called Knight back to her.

"I'm really sorry to be cryptic about this, but you will be pleasantly surprised, I promise."

At that moment, Johnson opened the door to the cabin.

"Everyone doing all right down here?" He asked with a friendly smile. All who were in the room nodded, as Johnson continued, "Well, Captain Dickinson said we'd be docking at Singapore in a few minutes, so I came down to let you guys know about that."

Suki smiled, and responded, "Thank you, Johnson."  
Nodding to her and to each of the men in the room, Johnson finally shut the door behind him, only for Anne to reopen the door and come back into the cabin.

"Ah, Anne, you're back!" Suki spoke jovially, trying her best to reconcile with the little girl. Raising her eyebrows, then turning her head to the side, Anne responded with a small, "Yeah."

"Well," Suki began, standing up, "Johnson said we'd be docking soon, so we should go up to the deck!"

"Wait. I have one more question."

Suki turned to the source of the voice. She certainly hadn't expected Jotaro to be curious enough to ask a question. As Anne hastily claimed the seat the older girl had left open, Suki leaned in the doorway to make herself a bit more comfortable.

"What's up?"  
"Why did you want me to think you were a guy?"  
At this, Suki was slightly startled. She didn't expect him to still be hung up on that. On instinct, the girl took out her charm from under her jumper, tracing the edges of the star shape with one finger in deep thought. Finally, she responded.

"I promised my big bro that I wouldn't let anyone dirty me. He said it would make it easier if I pretended to be a boy," Looking up with turned in eyebrows and a meek smile, as though not expecting them to understand, she concluded, "That's it," She then turned and walked out of room, up the stairs to the deck.

* * *

Reaching the deck, Suki stretched upwards, her hands splayed out and her back arched, as though intending to touch the clouds. Catching a whiff of the salty mid-morning air, Suki realized just how stuffy it had been in the cabin. As she walked down the ramp, she saw Willy, waiting on the dock. Hearing the sound of footsteps on metal, the man looked up, giving a content smile upon seeing the girl. He extended his hand to her, assisting her in reaching the dock. Even from a distance, Suki could tell that his eyes were a little bit more awake than when she had last seen him.

"Did you get some sleep on the trip?"  
Surprised she had been able to tell, Willy explained, "The Captain thought it would be best for me to get some rest after that big scare. Honestly, it's the best I've slept in a long time," The man nodded with a determined smile, "Thank you for telling me about Stands."

"Ah, heheh, it was no problem!" Suki stated, flashing a grin as she crossed her arms behind her head.

"I thought of a name for him, by the way."  
At this, Suki's eyes lit up, "Ah, really?! What is it?"

"Death of a Bachelor," Calling his Stand to his side, Death of a Bachelor nodded to Suki dutifully.

"Cool! I like it!"

Looking up at the ramp, Willy saw the other five men and one girl descending to the dock. With a tip of his hat, he began to walk back to the deck of the boat.

"Well, I'd best to get back to my shift. It was a pleasure talking with you, Miss Kanao."  
Waving her hand in a dismissive gesture, she responded, "Please, no need to be so formal! Call me Suki!"

"Right. Suki," He turned his eyes to the ground meekly as he admitted, "I honestly can't thank you enough for… well, for showing me that I'm not being haunted."

"Not a problem, Willy! Take care now!" She waved, as the man made his way back up the ramp. Willy returned the gesture, before turning and ascending the rest of the way up the stairs, nodding at the group of men he passed.

"Make a new friend, Suki?" Mr. Joestar asked, the first to make it to the dock.

She nodded, "I'd like to think so!"

* * *

 _Singapore! The second densest sovereign state and the sixth wealthiest country in the world! Originally called Temasek, Javanese for 'sea town,' the name was changed upon the visit of an ascending Indonesian prince. This royal discovered a white creature on the island, which he mistook to be a lion, and so called the land Singapura, Sanskrit for 'lion city;' however, it has been recorded that lions never once made their home in this country. Despite this, the Merlion is the mascot animal of Singapore. Home to seventeen reservoirs and four nature reserves across the island with more than 1.3 million trees, earning the title of 'City in a Garden,' Singapore is a popular getaway for those who want to experience nature in an urban setting, as well as a healthy mixture of cultures!_

"Good grief. We're finally here," Polnareff stated exhaustedly, stretching his arms out behind him. Suki was sure she imagined it, but she swore she saw Jotaro cast a glare at Polnareff that immediately reverted to his usual surly expression.

"We'll stay at a hotel tonight and figure out our route to Egypt," Joseph announced, as the group began to walk through the Singapore streets, scanning their surroundings for a suitable place to stay. Suki couldn't help but notice that, even though they had long since departed from the harbor, the smell of the sea still wafted through the air, though it was nowhere near the overpowering musk it had been when they had been on the water. She smiled serenely, finding this atmosphere thoroughly enjoyable.

Noticing her reaction, Kakyoin, who walked alongside her, asked, "Have you been here before, Suki?"  
Looking to her side, she shook her head.

"No, this is my first time here. Why?"

"You just looked so at home. The sights and sounds here are certainly a far cry from what I'm used to back home."  
"No, I totally get that. There's so much green here, and the air is so crisp and clear. Don't get me wrong, I love my home in Cairo, but being so close to the water without the dry desert air is a nice change of pace."

Abdul looked back upon her mention of her home, raising his eyebrows in surprise, "Really? You live in Egypt as well? Have you lived there for your whole life?"

"Yep!" Suki said with a nod.

"Hm. I'm surprised at how good your English is."

"Well, you see, my dad is from Liverpool, England. My mom is from Morioh, Japan," Suki's smile became shy as she spoke, reminiscing fondly over the story she had been told, "They both came to Egypt on a study abroad program. My mom and dad…They fell in love with the country, and with each other. They taught each other their homeland languages, and Mama found she liked English a lot more than Japanese. So, aside from Arabic, English became our go-to language around the house."

"Man, I think I caught something in my eye," Polnareff muttered, rubbing at one eye.

"I believe those are called 'tears,' Polnareff," Abdul responded with a teasing grin.

"Sh-shut up, Abdul," Polnareff looked away from the man beside him, a red color coating his cheeks.

Suki sighed, musing, her eyes becoming sad, "I still remember they would practice Japanese with each other before they went to bed, when they thought we were asleep."

"What made them stop?" Kakyoin asked, in simple curiosity.

"Uh-uhm, well…" Suki started, but grew quiet as she became uncomfortable speaking. Catching on to her discomfort, Joseph drew everyone's attention away from the girl.

"All right, let's stay at that hotel," Joseph stopped and pointed at a white structure that reached for the skies, almost covered on all sides with windows. As Abdul pulled to the head of the group, the rest of the men followed, allowing Suki to hang back with Joseph. Rubbing her elbow in slight embarrassment, the youth looked up at the old man meekly.

"Th-thank you."

Patting the girl on the shoulder, he gave her a friendly grin and said, "It's the least I could do after upsetting you earlier."

"Oh, n-no, it's fine, really!" Suki exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her, "You didn't know I would freak out like that!"

"Are you guys coming, or not?" Polnareff yelled from further ahead, as the group had stopped upon noticing they were missing two people.

"We're coming, just hold your horses!" Joseph shouted back, removing his hand from Suki's shoulder and moving to catch up with the rest of the group, with the girl following close behind.

Despite the hotel's immense size, the large plaza in front of the building was not nearly as bustling as the rest of the city streets. In the center of this plaza sat a simple two-tiered fountain, crystal clear water rushing out of the mouth of the decorative Merlion centerpiece, flowing into the top basin and pooling over into the second. At the edge of the fountain sat a girl, about Suki's size, with long black hair, dark skin, brown eyes, and a hooked nose. She wore a loose white t-shirt and black bell bottoms patterned with white flowers, and appeared to be engrossed in listening to the tape player she held in her hand. Looking up, her eyes connected with Suki's. Thinking she recognized that face, she pulled her earbuds out and began to make her way over to the group standing in front of the hotel's door.

"Akizuki? Is that you?" The dark-skinned girl asked.

"Minaj!" Suki rushed over and shook her friend's hand limply, as the two girls kissed each other's cheeks in greeting. They heartily grinned at each other.

"This is a friend of yours?" Abdul asked.

"Mm-hmm! She's told me about going to Singapore before, since her dad owns an art studio here!" Suki had turned her head slightly to direct her voice back towards Abdul, but she turned her attention back to her friend upon noticing movement out of the corner of her eye. Continuing nonchalantly, yet heading along a path planned in her head, Suki asked, "How is your dad, by the way?"

"Oh, he's good! Thanks for asking!"

"Things going well at his art studio?"

Upon repeating the word 'studio,' Suki became fully aware of the movement she had seen, and it was something she never wanted to see, least of all in the eyes of a loved one. Trying one more time, to make sure she wasn't mistaken about her assumption, Suki spoke one word. One name.

"Dio."

A primal glint lit up Minaj's eyes.

Hearing that name and noticing her friend's expression, Minaj's jovial smile straightened into a thin, unempathetic line. Suki raised her hands to her mouth, her eyes wavering.

"No…he got you, too?"

At this, the faces of the confused men behind her hardened, as what had just transpired sunk in. It was then that Suki noticed an almost imperceptible twitching motion on Minaj's head, almost fully obscured by her bangs.

 _A flesh bud,_ Suki realized.

"Good grief," Jotaro complained, stepping forward to Suki's side, his eyes narrowing into a cold-blooded stare, "I thought we'd finally get a break when we got here, but, since you're here…"

A tense silence followed. Finally, Minaj sighed.

"It's a shame. I was hoping this wouldn't involve you, but…" Trailing off, Minaj began to take a slow step backwards, followed by another, and another followed that, as she made her way back to the fountain, the shuffle of her feet echoing in the now-abandoned square.

"Mr. Joestar, please, take Anne into the hotel and wait for us inside," Abdul spoke quickly to his friend. Someone needed to stay by the child's side and make sure she didn't panic or rush out and try to help. It made sense that Joseph, with his Stand that was the least combat-oriented among the party, should be the one to keep an eye on her. With a nod, he beckoned Anne into following him, turning to rush into the building, the little girl tailing him with a worried expression.

"Akizuki Sukiyaki… Betraying Dio's trust has quite a heavy price on it, but, as a friend, I can lessen the punishment…" Minaj finally spoke, having reached the fountain. The girl grinned fiendishly, "Once I bury you, I'll send your mom and brother in after you!"

Her clenched fists shaking at her sides, Suki retained her determined expression as she spoke, "I'm gonna save you, Minaj. Don't worry."

The girl across from her shrugged and shook her head.

"You say the dumbest shit. Yeah, yeah, friendship, justice, blah blah blah. Results beat idealism, Suki, and I don't see your whole knight charade getting any results…

"So, grow up, or join your philosophy in the dirt where it belongs!"

With that, Minaj slammed her hands on the ground, and all around her, altered copies of her popped into view. In milliseconds, the square filled with different versions of the girl, large, small, thin, wide, and with differing physiques and physical features. All of the copies turned their attention to the group of people standing in front of the hotel and lunged at them. Kakyoin, Polnareff, Suki, and Jotaro all took battle ready stances, as Abdul stepped in front of them and summoned his Stand with an authoritative battle cry.

"Magician's Red!"

Out from behind him emerged what Suki could best describe as a red rooster, if its feathers were plucked completely from its upper body, only to reveal buff arms underneath. Sporting long, talon-like nails and red shoes more commonly seen on a genie, the girl was in awe at the literal flaming majesty of this avian Stand.

Before the copies could reach the group, Abdul created a roaring inferno in front of him, searing all of the Minajs in front of him. Using the same tactic to mow his way through the crowd along the side of the plaza, Polnareff took the initiative and summoned his own Stand to plow through the copies along the other side.

"Silver Chariot!"

A living suit of silver armor phased into view at Polnareff's back, with blue eyes that seemed way too innocent and a rapier at his side. The Stand brandished its weapon at the enemies before stabbing furiously at the copies, swiftly making another path through the crowd.

"Woooooow, you have a knight for a Stand?!" Polnareff turned to see Suki's eyes lighting up like a kid on Christmas morning, her hands curled into fists in front of her chin in a gesture of thorough excitement.

"Ah, ha, impressed, are you, ma cherie?" Polnareff flirted, winking at her, "I'll have you know that this is child's play compared to what my Stand can really do!"

"That's so cool!" The girl exclaimed. She was so excited that it seemed like steam was coming out of her nose.

"Can we save the chitchat for later?" Jotaro interjected, before looking out at the still writhing mass of similar-looking bodies and calling Star Platinum to his side, beginning to punch his way through the horde.

"Ah, right!" Polnareff and Suki agreed, as the Frenchman began to make his way along the other side of the square. Pulling out her canteen and beginning to make weapons to cut through the throng of clones, Suki looked back to see another familiar Stand. The Stand that had relentlessly searched for any sign of life on the boat.

"Ah, the green Skittle!"  
Kakyoin looked at Suki skeptically, fearing he had misheard her.

"The…what?"  
Suki's eyes widened as she jolted.

 _I just said that out loud,_ the girl thought.

"Ah, uh, your Stand! I saw it on the boat!"

"Oh, right, I meant to ask you how you managed to escape detection from my Hierophant Green. I was sure I had searched every nook and cranny from top to bottom."  
"Ah ha ha, well…it wasn't easy, that's for sure."  
"Kakyoin, what are you up to?" Jotaro cut in, somewhat irritable.

"Ah, yes, well, I'm trying to see if I can't thin the mob from here without having to use Emerald Splash."  
Suki tilted her head, following up on the question, "And how are you doing tha-!"

As the girl had chanced a glance at the ground, she saw several tentacles curling their way from Hierophant Green through the mass of clones. Kakyoin spoke with a slightly disappointed look.

"Unfortunately, it looks like these copies need to take quite a bit more of a hit if they're to be taken out."  
Suki raised an eyebrow, as her imagination ran wild. _So, has Hierophant Green just been rubbing these clones' bodies with its tentacles? That… seems like it would be uncomfortable._

Finally concentrating on what she was doing, Suki cut through as many enemies as she could with scimitars she had formed from her canteen. After repeating the same action a few times, the weapons seemed to dull and vanished into a thin vapor, as Suki pulled out more water from her canteen to continue slicing. Jotaro spoke up with a question.

"Shouldn't the battle be over now?" As his attention was turned for a fraction of a second, a clone jumped at him, only for Star Platinum to deliver an intense jab to her face.

"Well, yeah…" Suki admitted, thinking about it. The answer seemed simple enough. Shifting her attention back to the student, slashing through a few more doubles as she turned, she responded "I think the copies aren't the actual Stand. If they were, then, yeah, we'd be done here."

Nodding, Jotaro went back to work.

Despite the few breaks they had gotten, the mob just wouldn't seem to thin. If anything, the numbers continued to grow, two more copies popping into view as one was dispatched. Their forces increasing, the hordes that had previously been mowed down easily by Polnareff and Abdul rebounded full force, attempting to pin the men down.

"Shit! There's too many of them!" Polnareff cried, as one clone lunged at him, thrusting her knee into his chest, knocking the wind out of him, as he fell to the ground.

"Polnareff! Hang on!" Abdul exclaimed, as he incinerated the copies holding Polnareff down. Helping his comrade up, it did not take long for all of the doubles he had just dispatched to gain replacements. Even the front of the hotel was losing safety, as clones joined up and formed a barricade in front of the doors, slowly closing in on Jotaro, Suki, and Kakyoin.

"Emerald Splash!"

From a geyser of water that formed between Hierophant's hands, a bevy of gemstones flew at the copies. More quickly took their place.

"They're coming faster than we can get rid of them!"

As Suki and Jotaro stood back to back, fending off the doubles coming from the other side, Suki mumbled to him.

"I'm running out of water…Y'know, now would be the time for one of those really cool plans of yours…"  
"What do you think I've been doing?"  
"Well, gee, I dunno, you act like you've got an entire library stuffed up there sometimes, I figured you'd have something knocking about."  
Jotaro growled in response, wracking his brain for something, _anything_ to use as an opening. As the man at her back seemed to be drawing a blank, Suki began to inwardly panic.

 _If…if_ he _can't think of anything…What can_ I _do?_ Shaking her head dismissively, Suki encouraged herself, _No. I came up with a plan that worked earlier, I can do it again!_

Looking about, Suki spotted the fountain in the center of the plaza, still intact despite the chaotic fighting occurring around it.

 _Okay…how to get over there…!_

Turning back to the thug, she murmured, "Okay, I think I've got something."  
He turned his head to speak with her, "Does it involve another traumatized hostage?"

"Ha ha. No. But it might just be as crazy as the last plan."

Raising his eyebrows, Jotaro turned back to hide a microscopic smirk, "Alright, I'll bite. What's my job?"

"I need you to throw me. Rather, I need your Stand to throw me."

"What is that going to-"

"Just do it! Straight up, as high as you can!"

"All right, all right, no need to tell me a third time," With that, he called Star Platinum out. The Stand picked Suki up, but, before tossing her, his user asked, "Anything else you need me to do?"

"Tell everyone to look towards the fountain when they start to hear music."  
"Oddly specific request."  
"You gonna do it or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Now, off you go."

With that, Star Platinum launched Suki skyward with a loud battle cry. Ascending at a blinding rate, the girl shrank and shrank until she disappeared from view entirely. Jotaro looked after her with a hand over his eyes, trying to see her.

"Well, I hope she knows what she's doing," he muttered, before turning his attention to the other fighters and relaying Suki's message.

* * *

 _crap. Crap. Crap! CRAP!_

Suki inwardly cursed as she flew higher and higher, the air cutting into her skin like knives, as she felt it threaten to peel off her skin. The girl closed her eyes as her ears popped over and over again. She was so overwhelmed she could only voice her thoughts in short, shouting bursts.

 _Shouldn't! Have! Panicked! Should've! Remembered! Star! Platinum! Too! Strong!_

Finally slowing down, Suki opened her eyes slowly, only to be privy to one of the most majestic expanses of sky she had ever seen.

"Oh, wow…"

The light blue heavens that hung above her still eluded her grasp, but, upon remembering the feeling of a pushing impact against her as she ascended, she looked down to gaze upon a blanket of clouds, expanding out to the horizons. The white sheet extended further into the distance than Suki could even see, as she felt herself begin to slowly descend.

 _Hard to believe that that's all water._

 _Water?_

 _…_

 _WATER!_

Picking up speed, Suki turned to see the land below growing larger at a faster and faster rate. The girl reached out, gathering as many clouds as she could, forming them into a powerful weapon. Grinning mischievously, the girl thought proudly.

 _Who am I to doubt my bro's words? They've worked so far, and they only keep on working!_

Looking down at the ant-size buildings of Singapore coming into view, she maneuvered herself so she would land in the area of her launching point. Bringing the scope of her new toy in front of her eye, the girl's face grew determined.

 _Here's today's forecast: sunny, with a slight chance of monsoon season rolling in early!_

* * *

Constantly casting glances back up at the sky, Jotaro looked about at his pursuers. The other three men hadn't been gravely injured, but every man on the field was growing more fatigued by the second. He didn't care to think about what would happen if all of them were restrained. Looking upwards again, his eyes narrowed.

 _Shit, I hope she comes down soon. I couldn't forgive myself for killing her. She's just a kid._

"Had enough, Joestars?" Minaj's voice echoed around the square, keeping her location in the crowd hidden.

"This…can't be the end…" Kakyoin spoke apprehensively, in between heavy breaths.

"You bitch…" Jotaro muttered, clenching his fist, raising his voice, "Come on out and show your face, coward!"

"Aww, but why would I? The pitiful looks on your faces are priceless!" The voice cackled, "It's just a damn shame. Not only is Suki gonna die, but she's not gonna see your faces twisted in agony before you slink off this mortal coil!" As Minaj devolved into a fit of maniacal laughter, the delinquent gritted his teeth, preparing for the worst.

Suddenly, an explosion of water blew away all of Jotaro's would-be captors.

"What was-?!"

Another explosion, hitting all of the people next to Kakyoin. This time, the blast was seen to have come from the sky.

"Huh?!"

The student looked up to the source of the explosion. Pointing, he exclaimed, "Look, up in the sky!" Catching the attention of Abdul and Polnareff, their eyes widened as they saw the figure quickly growing larger, "It's a bird!"  
"It's a plane!" Polnareff exclaimed.

"No, it's…!" Abdul spoke.

Jotaro followed their gazes. As his eyes landed upon the falling object, his eyes widened ever-so-slightly as the details of the figure grew clearer.

"That insane little…!"

Falling from the sky was Suki, wielding a water rocket launcher that seemed to be way too big for her. The girl never stopped shooting, aiming and firing with the precision of a demolitions expert, as she blasted away the clones threatening the rest of her allies. Taking out as many enemies as she could in the short time before she reached the fountain, she then began to launch water rockets continuously in the same spot directly below her, slowing her descent. Convinced she would land safely, Suki threw the gun behind her, allowing it to dissipate into simple water, as she landed in a crouch, a rain landing on her and in a circle around her. Knights emerged behind her, raising her arms in a conductor's motion. As soon as she performed this action, the men began to hear something.

"This is…music?" Abdul questioned, looking about to try and locate the source of the sound. As the four men remembered Suki's message, they all turned to the fountain, as the jazzy tune only began to grow louder. Then, the girl began to move.

Rising slowly from her crouch, she leaned to one side, grasping a leg she had spread to the side. Rolling her hands over and over each other, as though spinning thread with them, she used the motion to bring them up over her head. Clasping her hands, she brought her bent arms rightwards over her head, her hips following the direction, then left, lowering her arms slightly, her hips moving left. She placed her hands on her hips in the next motion right, then kept them there as she returned left. Lowering her hand in a showy gesture over her right leg slowly, she then brought her hand up and flicked her wrist out, snapping as she did so. Then she spun in place before walking forward. At this point, the fighters watching realized just what the girl was doing. She was dancing.

And yet her bag of tricks did not empty there.

As the drums picked up in the minds of her audience, she pulled the water out of the fountain and formed a twin set of sabers. Twirling about, she attacked all clones threatening to halt her dance. Even though she was dispatching doubles in front of her like a fighter, she still kept swinging and stepping on the beat, like a dancer.

 _Got me something true now_  
 _I'm not looking anymore_

The strangest thing, though, was that each man who watched her felt an immense surge of power. Testing this strength, Jotaro called out Star Platinum immediately, punching into a group of ten Minajs at once, knocking them all back as though he had thrown a bowling ball at ten pins. Abdul's flames seemed to be much larger, the speed of Polnareff's sword thrusts seemed to become faster, and Kakyoin's emeralds in his signature attack spread out over a larger area. Each plowing an area through to the fountain, they held the line in front of their supporter.

 _The times of fakin' love are through now_  
 _Sharing real connections what we're made for_

"This surge of power…I've never felt anything like this before!" Abdul marveled.

"This is why you had us let in that ringing?" Kakyoin asked.

Never missing a beat, Suki responded, "Uh-huh! Just make sure you keep the corner of your eye on me! It won't work if you don't watch!"

"Greedy for attention?" Jotaro quipped, looking back fully to the girl.

"Pfff, you wish," Suki said, as she turned her attention back to the horde of clones that only seemed to be growing more fearful.

"Alright, let's hurry up and find that girl, so we can finally catch a break!" Polnareff proclaimed, as the other men nodded. With that, all four split off in different directions, each claiming a different area to mow through, as Suki remained in the center.

 _We couldn't stop it,_  
 _Just set it free and..._  
 _Dance!_

Working her way through the clones that hounded her near the fountain, slicing through each double seamlessly, she was surprised to finally see a copy attempt to dodge. The copy didn't dissipate, as the Minaj cried out in pain. Suki gasped.

" _YOU!_ "

"Yipes!" Minaj yelped, running through the thick crowd, with Suki in hot pursuit, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"I found her! I found her!"

* * *

Leading the pack of men, Suki rushed after Minaj. The girl disappeared around a corner, with Suki turning the corner directly after.

Minaj had disappeared.

"Oh, Suki…" A lilting voice emanated from behind. Turning around, Suki saw…

Herself, grinning sinisterly.

 _This Stand makes copies_ and _it makes disguises?!_ Suki thought in a panic, _That's just not fair!_

The other men came around the corner, seeing Suki facing herself.

 _"Two_ of them?!" Polnareff exclaimed, surprised.

"You don't happen to have a random twin sister in Singapore, do you?" Jotaro asked.

"Oh, sure, _everyone_ has one of those," Suki rolled her eyes, responding sarcastically.

"Don't you put words in my mouth!" The other Suki shouted angrily.

"I'm not putting words in your mouth. I'm putting them in mine." Suki shot back with narrowed eyes.

"So, which one of you is the real Suki?" Kakyoin questioned.

"I am!" The girls responded in unison, "Ugh!"

"This is ridiculous!" Suki complained, throwing her hands down. Looking back to the group, she walked up to Jotaro at the front of the group, making puppy-dog eyes. She whimpered, "Jotaro, please, can't _you_ help me?"

Mouth agape, the other Suki walked up, crying out, "I do _not_ sound like that!"  
"Well, of course, _you_ don't. You're just a _copy_ of me!" Suki responded, turning back to her mirror image.

"Grrr…Stop leading this conversation in an endless loop!" Pointing at Jotaro, she said, "And stop clinging to him like that! What are you, five?"

"I'm not clinging to him. I only cling to Big Bro!"

"Hey, that's _my_ nickname for him!"

"No, it's mine!"

As the two girls argued, their voices steadily increasing in volume, Kakyoin leaned over to Polnareff and asked quietly, "Should we step in?"

"Yeah, it's kind of getting annoying…" Polnareff looked to Jotaro with a smirk, "It was way more entertaining when they were clawing each other's eyes out over you, Jojo."

"Tch." Jotaro tilted the brim of his hat over his eyes in disdain, as he couldn't block out the inane arguments the two Sukis were having. At this point, the two had devolved into childish name-calling.

"Chatterbox!"  
"Ugly!"  
"Dumb kid!"  
"Weak freak!"  
"Shut the hell up already!"  
The two girls looked back to see Jotaro fuming, his hands clenched. His eyes were obscured by his hat, but the anger on his chiseled features was clear as crystal.

"I get enough of this back home," As the man looked up, the girls saw roaring flames blazing behind his cold blue irises, "We're not back home though." He summoned Star Platinum behind him, wearing an equally unforgiving glare.

"So, you bratty, catty bitches better shut the fuck up, or I'm gonna lay you flat!"

Quick as a flash, Star Platinum thrust both fists out, intending to punch both girls at once. Their eyes widened as the fists grew closer.

 _Wait_ , Suki thought, _If_ he's _going to trust me_ … _I need to show_ my _trust in_ him _first._

 _And I trust that this is one of his foolproof plans._

The fists stopped a centimeter from the faces of the girls. One Suki had hardened her face in determination, immovable from her spot. She looked at Jotaro with a determined gaze that mirrored his. Meanwhile, the other Suki retreated from the supposed incoming blow, falling to the ground behind her. Her disguise began to fade due to her surprise, revealing the face of Minaj underneath. Immediately calling his Stand back, the thug shoved his hands into his pockets, walking to the real Suki's side, standing over the fake.

"Well, now that that's settled…" He turned to the girl beside him, and admitted, "That plan you had back there?"  
"What about it?"  
"Fucking nuts."  
"Hey, hey, it worked, didn't it?" Suki asked embarrassedly, crossing her arms behind her head.

"I'm not complaining. More people need plans like that."  
Giggling, Suki teased, _"Now_ who's being chit-chatty?"

"Not me, don't know who you've been talking to."

Shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head, she muttered sarcastically, "Ah, yes, my mistake."

Looking back to the girl at his feet, Jotaro spoke lowly, "So, you need my help, right? You _did_ ask for it." Minaj nodded, her hands raised in surrender. "Oh, I'll help you all right…" Calling out his Stand once more, he removed one hand from his pocket and pointed at the girl.

"Help you into the hospital!"

Star Platinum unleashed a flurry of punches on Minaj, finishing with a jaw-dislocating uppercut, sending her flying. The girl flew in a small arc before landing back first on concrete further on in the alley. Suki rushed over to her fallen friend, checking her pulse, she sighed in relief on feeling successive beats beneath her fingers.

"You know, I don't think you needed to be that rough..."

"If she was awake, she'd struggle when I tried to remove this," Jotaro remarked, as he crouched down next to the girl and brushed her hair aside to reveal a bulbous flesh bud inserted into her cranium.

"Yeah, but you didn't need to- Ugh, what's the point..." Suki dismissed his rough nature with her friend as a result of his irritation with the two of them.

"Stand back. I'll take care of it."  
Looking up and locking eyes with the male, the certainty she saw was enough to make her nod and step back from her friend. A few moments after she let Jotaro get to work, she saw giant writhing tentacles flail about in front of him, relentlessly trying to defend the host.

"Oh, _oh,_ oh, dear, okay…" Suki muttered, flinching back in disgust at the wriggling, waggling tendrils emerging from Minaj's head, "That's something I could've lived without seeing."  
"Wait, did that come out of _my_ head, too?" Polnareff asked.

"Yes, but I believe I remember the tentacles being much larger, and putting up more of a scuffle…" Abdul reminisced, as Polnareff sat and stared, dumbfounded.

The tendrils finally retreated, as Jotaro stood and rushed past the three waiting on him. He held the newly removed flesh bud in the light of the afternoon sun, allowing it to burn away with no residue.

"We should get Minaj to the hospital before we go back to the hotel," Suki stated, the other three men nodding in agreement. With no further delay, Jotaro picked up the girl and swung her over his shoulder.

"Wow, I'm sure whoever you marry will be ecstatic to have you pick them up like that," Suki snarked, picking up stride with him once they exited the alley, Abdul following, as Kakyoin and Polnareff pulled to the end of the group.  
"Psh. What, are you gonna criticize the way I talk next?"  
"Well, most women I know don't tend to like being called 'bitch.'"

"I calls 'em as I sees 'em."  
Suki raised a fist at him in a challenging gesture, "Okay, do you wanna go? We'll throw down right here, right now!"  
"Careful, don't want to wake your friend, do you?"

"Ugh!" Looking back at Abdul, she challenged, "Abdul, who do you think would win in a fight? Me or him?"

"Well, perhaps you two can figure that out before we leave."  
"You mean like a sparring match?" Suki crossed her arms as she mulled over Abdul's suggestion, "I don't know, I feel like we've experienced enough chaos here already…"  
"Someone's chickening out."  
"Yeah, and it isn't me!" Suki raised her fists in a boxing stance as she responded to the student, "Fine! Anytime, anywhere, we'll do it!"

As the three teenagers continued to chat in front of them, Polnareff's mouth widened into a smile, as he nudged Kakyoin with his elbow.

"Those two? Eh?" He murmured.

"They make quite a pair, certainly," He responded serenely, "Hopefully they can learn how to be friends without being so abrasive to one another."

"Jeez, way to spoil the fun," Polnareff pouted, then looked at his comrade with a smirk, "I guess you just haven't had enough relationship experience yet. You are still a student, after all."

"Well, unlike someone else I know, I don't go around acting like the world would be a better place if everyone just acted on their basest instincts," The redhead replied with a dark smile.

"Come on, you act like I have _no_ restraint!"

With the friendly clamor between the four men and Suki continuing, the long walk to the hospital felt like it took seconds, with the fresh smell of the sea hanging in the air.

* * *

Chapter Two – You've Got a Friend in Me

-END-

|To Be Continued|\|/

* * *

 **I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! Hopefully this chapter wasn't too explanation heavy for you all. With that said, I'll be back next week with another chapter! -BlueBow**


	4. Chapter 3 - The Devil Went Down to

**WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by another warning right beforehand, and another line right where the explicit scene ends. You have been warned.**

* * *

After dropping Suki's friend at the hospital, the group returned to the plaza, encountering Joseph and Anne waiting at the entrance to the hotel. Hearing five sets of footsteps approaching, the man looked up and sighed.

"Oh my god…" He muttered, drawing a hand over his face. Turning to the approaching party, he remarked, "You didn't think to tell the old man where you were going? I look away from the commotion going on outside for two seconds, and all of a sudden, you all just up and disappear!"

"Ah, heheh, sorry about that…" Suki responded sheepishly, scratching her cheek.

The worried man sighed, "It's fine. Let's just go inside and get some rest."

" _Finally_ …" Polnareff huffed.

Before they could make it through the door, however, the sound of a whistle echoed through the air. Turning to the source of the noise, Suki saw a gangly police officer rushing towards them.

"Hey, you!" He shouted, pointing at Polnareff.

"Huh?" The Frenchman asked, as everyone else shifted their attention to the official behind them.

"You! You threw this trash, didn't you?" Pulling his hand back and bringing it forward, opening his palm, he exclaimed, "That's a fine of five hundred Singapore dollars!"

"What? Five hundred?"

"In Singapore, the law says you will be fined for littering!" The cop proclaimed, drawing the group's attention to a nearby sign that reinforced his point.

"Five hundred Singapore dollars…" Kakyoin mused.

"That's about forty-thousand yen." Joseph calculated.

"Hmm…isn't that like…?" Suki moved her index finger across her open palm, figuring out the math in her head. Finally dropping her head in her hand, she looked up with a frustrated expression, "A little less than two-hundred Egyptian pounds…?"

"Trash?" Abdul asked, confused.

The officer pointed at Polnareff with a strict face, assertively asking, "Got it?"

"Trash?" Polnareff repeated Abdul's question.

The sound of a car passing by on the expressway above the group was heard as the official pointed at a bag that sat on the ground, the one that Joseph had set at Polnareff's feet.

"What are you talking about?" The silver-haired man asked, following the direction the cop was pointing in. Polnareff had left his burlap, one-strap bag with Joseph before they had engaged in combat with Minaj, and Suki had followed his example. Upon returning, the man had left the bags on the ground in front of them both.

Abdul snickered, realizing the official's mistake.

"I don't see anything here besides my own luggage," Polnareff's previously confused expression grew condescending as he continued, poking the officer's chest, "Would you be so kind as to tell me what trash you're referring to?" Placing his hand on the cop's shoulder, he asked with an eerie grin, "Where is this trash, sir?" His smile grew menacing, as the official nervously averted his eyes.

"That's your luggage, sir?"

"That's right," Polnareff affirmed.

"I-I'm terribly sorry," The officer apologized, as Abdul, Polnareff, and Joseph burst into laughter. Even Jotaro's mouth turned up, ever so slightly entertained. Suki picked up her satchel by its over-the-shoulder strap, examining it skeptically.

"Do they really think anything you put on the ground is trash…?" She asked, thumbing the rough material. Polnareff put his hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention.

"Nah, I doubt the force here is that bad. This guy is just making assumptions," Smirking, he continued, "And you know what they say about assuming things?"

The girl tilted her head, asking him with her eyes to go on.

"It makes an 'ass' out of 'you' and 'me.'"

Her mouth opening slightly in thought, she looked in another direction before her eyes lit up a moment later.

"I get it!" Closing her eyes with a smile, she said, "So, you're saying he's an ass!"

Grinning, the Frenchman agreed, "Exactly!"

The men laughed again, Polnareff and Suki joining in. Even Anne joined in, before Polnareff looked back to her with a confused expression. The chuckling of the group quieted as the tiny person noted their attention having shifted to her, and turned her head away in a pout.

"Well, I'll be going, then…" The cop spoke up nervously.

"Shoo, shoo," Polnareff made a dismissive gesture as the officer walked off. During this short exchange, Anne had chosen to sit in front of the hedges decorating the front of the hotel. "What's with the kid? She's still following us," He muttered.

Equally as confused, Joseph asked, "Hey, weren't you going to go see your father?"

"Why don't you stop following us and get going?" Polnareff suggested.

 _Preaching the choir on that one…_ Suki thought, _I don't want to have to worry about her anymore._

Giving a small sigh, Anne rested her head in her hand and responded, "I'm meeting up with him in five days," Taking her head out of her hand, she looked up at Polnareff with an irritated expression as she stated, "I can go wherever I want!" Finishing her rebellious statement, she turned her head away and asserted, "I'm not taking orders from you guys," After a moment, she looked up at Jotaro with puppy-dog eyes. The man returned her stare for a moment before turning his attention to the rest of the group.

"She'll be in danger if she stays with us," Abdul expressed, his arms folded.

"Maybe she doesn't have any money," Kakyoin thought aloud.

"All right…" Joseph gave in, shifting his focus to the child, "I guess we can pay for her hotel room. Polnareff, bring her, but don't hurt her pride."

"Uh, I think she's got you beat, Mr. Joestar," Polnareff replied, pointing in the child's direction. Joseph turned to look to see Suki squatting in front of Anne, having a quiet chat with her. Straining his ears, he could barely make out their conversation.

"Hey, you can tag along with us for the time being, if you really want to," Suki swallowed her pride as she forced a friendly smile, against her instincts, "But the world's a scary place, even for people like us. So, you've gotta be _extra_ careful, okay?"

Anne looked at her for a moment before turning her head and pouting, muttering, "I don't have to take orders from a brat like you."

Desperately trying to keep cool, Suki spoke tersely, "Now, I don't think that's a very nice thing to say. Can't we just let bygones be bygones and make up?"

"Well, I think you owe me an apology first."

Cocking her head to the side in confusion, Suki replied, "But, I already apologized for what I said before."

"You haven't apologized for kicking me out of the cabin on the boat!"

"Okay, that wasn't even my fault!" Suki shot back, throwing her hands down.

"If you hadn't been there, I could have stayed in the room, and not been bored out of my mind in the next cabin!"

"So, now you're blaming my _existence_ for your misfortune?"

"If you hadn't come out and attacked us, we could've been rescued right away!"

"Listen, kid, you have no-" The girl then realized that the rest of the group had grown silent, and turned around to see them all staring at them, as they argued with each other. All watched with wide eyes, except for Jotaro, who gripped the brim of his hat tightly and pulled it over his eyes. Suki's mind flicked back to his unmistakable anger at the trivial arguments she had been having with her double. With a sigh, the girl looked to the group with eyes begging for assistance.

"What?" Anne asked contemptibly, "What don't I have?"

Walking up to the kid, Polnareff said, "Hey!" The girl looked up, startled, "You're poor, right?" Pointing at himself, he continued, "We'll pay for you, so come with us."

Anne sighed with a disdainful expression. Polnareff lowered his hand confusedly, as Abdul and Joseph shook their heads, the old man bringing a hand up and holding his own head. Kakyoin chuckled lightly, bringing a hand over his mouth. Suki rolled her eyes irritably.

"Well, then. Let us check in…" Abdul spoke, a tinge of stress in his voice.

"R-right…" Joseph agreed.

Walking into the hotel, Suki's eyes glimmered as she was privy to a lobby that just screamed, "If you don't have money, find somewhere else to stay." She rushed forward, drinking in the expensive decorations.

"Hey, don't run off too far!" Joseph called to her, but she didn't appear to hear anything, too lost in the opulence of the room. The reflective ceramic floor and the grid-patterned ceiling with no want for light painted the room a shimmery gold color, and the sunlight filtering in from all of the large windows gleamed on the floor. Looking about like a kid in a candy store, Suki's attention shifted from the tropical potted plants laid out across the hall, to the red lavish sofas that looked like they could function as beds themselves, to the upstanding people scattered about the room.

"Clas-sy…" The girl mused, her wide eyes desperately trying to note down every detail. She was snapped out of her dazed state by a soft yank on her cape. Looking up and behind her, she saw Jotaro standing behind her. Shifting her attention back to the front desk, she saw the other four men standing there, engrossed in figuring out the details of their stay.

"Ah, uh, sorry about that," Suki nervously laughed, blushing at how excited she had gotten.

"You act like you've never been in a hotel before," The thug piped up, finally letting go of the cloth attached to the back of Suki's shirt.

"I've been in plenty of hotels! Just, none this…chic."

"Wait till you see everything before deciding anything. Hotels tend to have nicer lobbies than actual living quarters."

"You sound like you speak from experience," Suki suggested with a small chuckle. Jotaro nodded, as they made their way over to the rest of the group.

"I'm terribly sorry, but we are rather full at this time of year," The woman behind the large wooden desk confessed to Joseph, as he leaned on the table, desperately trying to work things out, "The rooms won't be next to each other. Is that all right?" Curious to see what Joseph was doing hunched over the table, Suki glanced over to see that he was in the process of writing a check. The girl's eyes widened as she swallowed thickly.

 _Th-that's a lot of zeroes…_ She thought, amazed.

"Well, I guess we don't have a choice," Joseph admitted. He turned slightly to the others behind him as he thought aloud, "Then for the rooms…Hmm…Abdul and I will share a room," He noted, pointing between himself and his friend, as Abdul nodded in agreement.

"Jotaro and I will share a room, since we're both students," Kakyoin spoke, gesturing to himself, as the other student nodded.

"That would mean, the last two rooms would go to…" Joseph looked between the three remaining occupants. Coming to a decision, he stated, "Polnareff, you can have a room to yourself, while, Suki, you and Anne can share a room."  
Exhaling, Suki tried to remain as quiet as she could about her feelings about the state of affairs. Anne did not have such restraint.

"You can't expect me to stay in the same room as _her_! She could try to kill me!"

Suki sighed, looking disdainfully at the child out of the corner of her eye. About to voice her own retort to Anne's pickiness, Joseph spoke up first with a raised eyebrow.

"What makes you think that?"

"She attacked us before! Why wouldn't she try again?"

"Listen, you-!" Suki started.

"I believe if she wanted us dead, she would've acted long before, Anne," Abdul defended the girl stoically.

"I agree, I can think of several opportunities where she could've acted on that premise, but did not," Kakyoin chimed in, raising a fist to his chin in thought, "She could have teamed up with her friend in the plaza, or picked us off one by one on the freighter she called out to. She could've even left us in the middle of the ocean to die, if she really wanted to."

Jotaro and Polnareff nodded in agreement. Scanning the faces of each of her allies, Suki's eyes wavered as she couldn't deny the trust she saw in their eyes.

 _They…They trust me already?_ She thought, _Why do they trust me so much?_

Finally, Suki sighed and admitted, "It's fine. If she's so against sleeping in the same room as me, we can figure out a different arrangement."

"Agreed," The little kid spat.

"Why don't you stay with Polnareff, then?" Joseph asked Anne.

"You're joking! Like I'd room with him!" The child gestured to the Frenchman with a frustrated voice.

"What?" Polnareff asked confusedly, to which the kid responded with a disgusted noise.

"Well, she is a child, but also a lady…" Turning back to the employee, who looked like she had seen way too many unprepared guests before, Joseph asked, "Could we make that five rooms?"

"I'm sorry, sir, we only have four rooms that are unoccupied," The lady responded politely.

"Hmm…" The old Joestar scratched his beard, trying to think of a way to appease everyone.

Sighing through her nose, Suki interjected, "Look, here's what we'll do. With an odd number of people and two-person rooms, if no one wants to sleep on the floor, one of us has to have a room to him or herself," The girl looked down to see Anne glaring up at her.

 _Yeah, yeah, revelation of the century,_ Suki muttered inwardly, _You're still hung up on that?_

Pointing to the small child, Suki proclaimed, "Anne can have a room to herself," Shifting her point to Polnareff, she continued, "And I'll room with Polnareff. Problem solved!"

The other men exchanged glances, before Abdul spoke up, "You have no problem with this arrangement?"

Crossing her arms and tilting her head with a confused expression, Suki asked, "No, I don't have a problem. Should I?"

"Well, it's just-"

"Good grief," Jotaro piped up, "She wouldn't have brought it up if she wasn't okay with it."

"Then it's settled," Joseph concluded, turning to the woman as she laid four keys on the table. Polnareff picked up the key labeled '912.'

"Hmph! I can relax more with someone closer to my age anyway!" Polnareff expressed, flaunting the key with the blue label, "Nothing would suit me better!"

"Just don't go getting any funny ideas," Kakyoin warned, a smirk turning up his lips.

"Pfff. Everybody knows you take a girl to dinner before you stay overnight with her. Jeez," Polnareff shot back. Suki tilted her head confusedly as the man walked past her, beginning to follow close behind. Stopping short, he raised a hand, waving back at the group, as he reminisced, "We've been through hell since we left Hong Kong. Let's hurry up and take a shower where it's safe."

The other men nodded as they walked up the stairs leading to the upper floors. As Kakyoin, Jotaro, Joseph, and Abdul stopped to examine a map at one of the landings, Polnareff walked ahead, shouting a quick, "See ya!" before continuing up the stairs.

"I didn't know."

The Frenchman looked to his side to see the girl wearing a confused expression. "Know what?" He asked.

"That you have to take a person out to dinner before staying with them."

"Aw, come on, that's one of the first rules of dating!"

"Ah, uh…heheh," The girl tried to find words, as she scratched her cheek in embarrassment.

"Don't tell me. You've never dated _anyone_ before?"

"Well, I don't really know any guys besides my big bro. And you all, of course," Casting her eyes away, she admitted, "He always got sad whenever he saw me talking with other guys, so I never did it."

"Uh…huh…" The man said thoughtfully. After a few moments, he voiced his opinion, "Well, I'm gonna be honest, nothing's right about that."

"Huh?" They stopped on the stairway, as Polnareff looked back to Suki, who looked to be deep in thought, "I mean, I don't wanna make him sad… And he can't help it if he gets sad seeing me with other guys…"  
Sighing, the Frenchman spoke, "Look, I understand. At least, I can understand where your brother's coming from," Looking over the railing of the stairs, he reflected, "Your brother wants to protect you," Returning his gaze to her, he stated sternly, "But he can't just isolate you from other people like that!" The girl looked off to the side, contemplative. Thinking he had upset her, he apologized, "Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away."  
"No, no, it's fine!" Suki waved her hands in front of her, "I've just…never heard that side before…"

Polnareff's eyebrows shot up. Before he could ask what kind of world Suki had been living in, she began to ascend the stairs past him. Following behind her, he thought for a moment about what he had learned, as they reached the ninth-floor landing.

"Hey, so, can I ask a question?" Suki asked, looking back at the man. After he nodded, she questioned, "Why are you guys after Dio? I mean, I'm not complaining," She shrugged, "but, fighting a seemingly all-powerful hellspawn and his lackeys wouldn't be my first choice on how to spend my vacation."

Casting his gaze upwards as they walked through the expensive hall, he spoke after a second's contemplation, "Well, you'll have to ask the others about their reason for fighting him. I have a different target. One of his minions."

The girl waited raptly as they passed a mother and son in the hall.

"A man with two right hands. About three years ago, he shamed my little sister, and killed her," He locked eyes with Suki, as she had turned to listen, "I'm going to avenge her death."

There was a small pause. In that lull, a pair of kids ran down the hall, giggling and shouting at each other.

"I'm sorry…"

Polnareff raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why are you apologizing? You had nothing to do with it!"

"No, just…" Looking up with a shaky smile, she admitted, "You've probably heard the whole spiel of 'I'm sorry for your loss' a million times before, but that isn't everything. I wish I could've done something. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help."

Gazing at the girl confusedly, he sighed before responding, "You do realize we're talking about something that happened three years ago, in the countryside of France, right? There's…nothing you could've done."

"But I made it my goal to help as many people as I could! That's…That's what a knight does!"

"A…knight?"

Suki shook her head, dismissing the question, "I guess what I'm trying to say is… I've never had to experience the premature death of someone I care about. If death taking someone away from you really does feel _worse_ than life taking them away, then I want to stop that from happening! No one deserves that kind of pain!" Taking a breath, she concluded, "My point is…I'm sorry I can't do anything to make you feel better."

The Frenchman only looked at the girl with wide eyes, before she turned her attention back to the plaques hanging by the doors.

"914, 913…912!"

"Here we are," Polnareff announced, taking out the key he had placed in his pocket, unlocking the door next to the plaque labeled "912."

Opening the door to the room, the two were greeted to a dark hall. The only source of light was the sun shining through the window up ahead, illuminating the figures of a chair, and, further into the room, a bed. As Polnareff opened one of the doors in the hall, examining the shadowed bathroom, Suki decided to look about the area with the bed. The room was clearly meant for one person, or two tiny people, which made sense, given that the room options had been limited in the first place. The white sheets of the large double bed, only home to a single pillow, were wrinkle-free, and beside the slumber nest was a small, ornate nightstand, with a three-bulbed lamp, a white telephone, and a small doll. Walking over to the table with a curious expression, she lifted an arm of the doll, letting it fall back into its lap limply. Intending to take a closer look, Suki reached over and pulled on the lamp's string, only for it to snap off and fall into her hand. Sighing, the girl remembered Jotaro's words about saving judgments for the end, and now she saw why he had been so skeptical. Her attention still drawn to the little doll, she tied the string to the same place she had removed it from, and picked the toy up gently, examining it closely.

The marionette wore a simply designed yellow sweater with an orange scarf-piece, and brown slacks that had to have their ends rolled up so as not to drape over the feet. An orange hat with yellow and blue accents and a light green feather to complement the sweater sat on the figure's head, and several piercings adorned the face, ranging from simple, yellow hoop earrings to red gemstone studs in the forehead, cheeks, and along the jawline. The eyes of the dolly were shut, as though it were sleeping, enshrouded by its short, dark brown hair.

Suki's examination was interrupted, as a key flying past her and landing on the nightstand snapped her out of her thoughts. Polnareff leaned over her shoulder to look at the toy in her hands.

"You much of a doll person?" He asked, out of simple curiosity.

Shaking her head, the girl responded, "No, not really. I'm just wondering why there's a doll here…"

"Maybe it's a room-warming gift," The man suggested.

What stuck out the most in examining the doll's ensemble was the tribal, incredibly _real_ -looking spear draped across the back. Poking the tip with her finger, Suki immediately retracted her finger upon feeling a sharp sting of pain.

"Maybe, but I don't think room-warming gifts typically come with weapons…"

"Well, we _are_ in a different country. Maybe their idea of what makes a good gift are different too," Polnareff thought aloud, looking back to the side of the bed to see a closet he had not yet examined.

"Maybe…" Suki mumbled thoughtfully, setting the puppet back in its original place. The girl then sat on the bed, dragging her hand through her short brown locks as she sighed.

Taking a second look at the bed, she realized how small it was. Of course, it would be overindulgent for one person, comfortable for two, but her roommate was much bigger than the average man, even bigger than her big brother. The girl felt her heart in her throat as it began to beat faster.

 _C-Calm down, Suki_ , she berated herself, _you've slept in your brother's bed with him dozens of times before: sharing a bed with another man, who doesn't plan to hurt you, is no different. So, why…?  
_

At that moment, Suki became dimly aware of a voice calling her name.

"Hey, Suki!" The girl jumped at the Frenchman's call. Putting his hands on his hips and tilting his head, he asked, "You okay?"

"Huh? Y-yeah, I'm fine!"

A small pause followed as Polnareff's eyes darted away for a second in thought, before he spoke up, "You're _sure_ you don't mind sleeping in the same bed as me?"

A moment's hesitation, then a nod; however, the girl was obviously nervous, desperately trying to conceal that fact. Scanning the room and finding a simple armchair near the balcony door, then looking back to the bed, he sighed.

"It'll be murder on my back, but, I'll take the chair, and you can take the bed."

"Huh?" Glancing at the chair, Suki shook her head, and explained, "But you're way too big! That chair can't hold you! It would make more sense for me to take the chair."

"Look," The Frenchman pointed at himself and asserted, "I'm a sophisticated gentleman. Is it so wrong for someone like me to put a lady's needs first?"

"I thought the first and foremost rule was to never refuse the request of a beautiful lady?" The girl asked, putting a finger to her chin.

"Okay, give me a request, then." The man stated, walking over to the balcony door and opening it, looking out at the view.

Folding her arms and tilting her head, Suki requested, "Uhm…Could you sleep where you're most comfortable?"

"Absolutely."

"Really?" Suki asked excitedly, scooting to the edge of the bed.

"Yeah," He pointed back to the chair, "I'll be most comfortable sleeping there."

"Geez, I don't get you guys…" Suki dropped her head into her hand, as she heard Polnareff sigh.

"I guess you guys aren't going to give us a chance to rest…" He directed his voice behind him. Before Suki could wonder whom he was talking to, Polnareff turned to the white minifridge sitting in front of the bed. "Come out," He ordered. The girl tilted her head, clearly boggled, as the door to the fridge began to open on its own, and a man with black hair and sharp green eyes crawled out. The youth's eyes widened as she scrambled back onto the bed, creating as much distance between herself and the man previously hidden to her.

 _I didn't even think we weren't alone in the room…_ Suki looked at Polnareff with awed eyes, _This guy's sharper than he makes himself out to be!_

The intruder stretched up as he slowly rose from his previously cramped position. His hair was dark and wispy, twisted into a long braid, and his face was covered in long-set-in scars. Wearing an open green vest and gray grenade-patterned gloves, he looked more like a soldier than any kind of minion Dio would care to recruit.

"That's some sharp killing intent you've got there. Why don't you let me know your name before I, Polnareff, kill you," the Frenchman claimed, his eyes narrowing in determination.

"My name is Soul Sacrifice," The other man introduced himself, standing up fully. He smiled as he continued, "My Stand suggests the card called The Devil. It evokes a curse's dark manipulations, deteriorating mental health, and an inauspicious path of ruin and downfall." The mist from the cold fridge flowed into the room in thick clouds, causing Suki to shiver in her flimsy outfit. Asking the question that had been on the tip of her own tongue, Soul Sacrifice queried, "How did you know I was in the fridge?"

Grabbing the man by the collar of his vest, Polnareff spat in the man's face, "Seriously, are you that stupid?" Whirling the man around to his opposite side, turning and pointing at the top of the fridge, he explained, "You took everything out of the fridge and didn't bother putting any of it away!"

Suki sat dumbfounded. _It was such a simple thing to notice, how did I miss that?_ Shaking her head and dismissing the thought as another reminder that she needed to be more observant, she turned her attention back to the two men, as Polnareff lifted their enemy up. Soul smirked, causing the silver-haired man to drop him and step back, adopting a defensive stance. Sliding off the side of the bed, Suki stood and steadied herself, preparing to fight. The intruder raised his arms above his head, a black aura cloaking his limbs.

"Ebony Devil!" The man called, bringing his arms out in a wide berth. Behind the man emerged a dark, shadowy mist, forming a domain which his Stand, what looked to be demonic hellspawn from the realm of nightmares, inhabited.

"Silver Chariot!" Polnareff summoned his own Stand, as it slashed the air before rushing forward.

"Knight of Cups!" Suki cried, Knight flying from the fridge and back, as she used her canteen and extra water from the still dripping fridge and drinks to create a shotgun. Firing one round after another, the girl intended to distract the enemy with her fake pain, aiming at the user's body, while Silver Chariot dealt the real damage. The shots forced Soul's attention to his arm, then his leg, then his torso, before Polnareff's Stand came in and stabbed furiously at the man, poking holes in his eye, tongue, and face, like a pencil being thrust through paper. The man flew back, as blood spattered onto the lamp and doll.

"Talk about pathetic," The Frenchman commented with a satisfied smile, calling his Stand back to himself. He crossed his arms, as he said, "The ape we met the other day was a much more powerful and terrifying Stand user than you," Turning his head to Suki, who had come around to his side during his boast, the man raised his hand. The girl tilted her head quizzically. Raising an eyebrow, Polnareff assured, "Come on, I don't care where you're from: you have to know what a high five is!"

"Ah, high five!" Suki responded enthusiastically, bringing her hand into contact with his with a satisfying smacking noise.

"Still a bit shaken, huh?" The man asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, I know about monsters under the bed, but monsters in the fridge is a new one for me," She chuckled nervously.

Suddenly, the two heard groaning coming from the other side of the room. They turned their attention to where Polnareff had sent Soul flying to see a red-stained body with blood spurting out of his eye socket, which he covered with his hand. The intruder bellowed maniacally, his speech laden with sadistic laughs of glee.

"N-Now you've done it, Polnareff! How dare you do this to me?!" The crazed, injured man cackled, as he frolicked about the room, knocking a chair over, exclaiming, "It hurts! It really hurts!" Suki gazed at the man beside her questioningly, wondering if he had any inkling as to what was going on.

"What's with him?" Polnareff asked, his eyes glued to the dancing, shaking figure, as he stepped back, holding his arm out to direct Suki in the same retreating direction.

"It hurts!" The maniac laughed, as he stepped back onto the balcony, "Curse you… How dare you?! How dare you do that?!" Pointing at the silver-haired man with an insane grin, he cried out, "Now I can _really_ hold a grudge against you! Such…Such painful agony must be avenged!" Soul shouted, finally reaching the railing at the edge of the balcony.

"I let you find me and attack me on purpose!" The man claimed, bending his body over the railing and falling backwards, his laughter echoing as he fell. Hearing his cackling cut off by a large crashing noise, Polnareff and Suki were awakened from their bizarre fascination with the enemy's words and quickly rushed out to the edge. Looking over the railing, they were surprised to see…

"H-He's gone…" Polnareff spoke, shocked at such a swift getaway. The two scanned their eyes over the area surrounding the ground directly below their room, but their search was fruitless. Surprised, the man asked no one in particular, "He disappeared? Wh-What's going on?"

Suddenly, Polnareff yelped in pain. Looking down, Suki saw his foot had been slashed.

"Wh-what the-?!" The girl cried.

"I-I can't believe it! When did he cut me?" He asked himself.

"H-Hang on!" Suki assured, rushing back into the room to grab her pack. As she fished through the satchel, she asked, "Was it some kind of attack?"

"I-I don't think I felt an attack…No, I'm sure I didn't feel it," Polnareff squatted to examine the wound. Limping inside to the bed, he sat on the edge and began to dial the phone quickly, punching in the number for the front desk for a redirect to Joseph's room. The girl finally found her bandages and antiseptic after the front desk told him to hold for a moment. Polnareff reached out to take them from her, but Suki completely ignored his hand, as she knelt on the floor and began to dress his wound herself.

"You talk. I'll nurse," Suki commanded, dabbing the cut with antiseptic. Polnareff looked at the girl surprised, snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of someone picking up.

"Mr. Joestar! A Stand user was hiding in my room!" The Frenchman explained, not waiting for an answer, "Wait, are you Abdul?! Anyway, listen! He's completely baffling."

As Polnareff summarized the situation to the man on the other line, he nervously bounced his leg up and down. Suki's eyes kept darting to the other leg, thoroughly distracted by outside movement. Frustrated, Suki stood. Seeing the girl stand, he pulled the phone from his face to speak to her.

"Oh, are you already do-!"

With no word of consent from the man in front of her, she sat on his other leg, pulling the injured one into her lap as she continued her work. The silver-haired man's face lit up with a fierce blush, as he watched her work the bandages around and around his leg. Noticing he had stopped talking, Suki looked up. She darted her eyes from Polnareff's face to the phone in his hand and jerked her head towards the communication device.

"Polnareff? Polnareff, are you still there?!"

Whatever daydream he'd been having, he was rudely awakened from it upon hearing the voice in his hand. Bringing the phone back to his face, he continued to speak quickly.

"Soul Sacrifice, who suggests The Devil?" Abdul's surprised response was heard loud and clear from where Suki sat. Finally finishing her work, she placed Polnareff's leg gently on the floor before smacking her hands on her knees with finality and getting up.

"Yeah. But no matter how much I think, it still doesn't make sense," The man continued, bringing his injured leg up onto the bed with him. Casting his gaze over, he saw that Suki had exited to the balcony, looking over the railing, as she scanned for any signs of Soul Sacrifice that they may have missed. Thinking aloud, Polnareff expressed, "I know for a fact that I saw a glimpse of his Stand. But even though I don't remember an attack, my leg's been gouged. Anyway! I'll be there in five minutes. Room 1212, on the twelfth floor, right? Contact Kakyoin and Jotaro for me, too! Later!" With that, the man hung up. Upon hearing the phone meet the receiver, Suki looked back to the man on the bed. Her expression was concerned.

"Hey, relax. I don't think that guy will be back. But even if he does show his ugly mug here again," The Frenchman pointed at himself, grinning, "Good ol' Polnareff will keep you safe."  
The girl's eyes widened as the words he spoke rang familiar.

 _I'll keep you safe, Sis. I promise._

Suki's face heated slightly, as her eyes grew soft. She smiled warmly, bringing her hands up to her chest.

"Thank you, Polnareff."

Looking down at his leg to see if her dressing held up, she chanced a gaze at the floor to see the little doll lying on the floor.

 _That doll..._ Suki thought. She looked to the nightstand, the puppet's original perch, and saw the blood that had splattered onto the table had been smeared, as if the doll had been swiped off through the pool of blood.

"Polnareff, where did you find that doll?" Suki asked, hoping she was just imagining things.

"Oh, it must've gotten knocked around during that fight," The man said, picking up the marionette with one hand, examining it before tossing it next to the balcony door. Casting his gaze about, Polnareff asked, "Hey, Suki. You didn't take the key off the table, did you?"  
"Uh-uh." The youth shook her head. As the man searched the room, she put her hand to her chin, deep in thought.

 _The doll landed under the bed…_ Suki analyzed, _But I can see from this distance that the blood is smeared_ away _from the bed…_ She slowly scoured every inch from the nightstand to the balcony door that rested in the direction the blood had been smeared. _It's almost…Almost as if…_ Finally looking at the toy that Polnareff had cast aside, her eyes locked with those of the doll.

 _As if it had gotten up and walked by itself…_

Suki remembered seeing the doll's face, giving it the semblance of being asleep. The doll now looked up at the ceiling with uncomfortably wide eyes. Slowly making her way to the balcony door, tiptoeing so she wouldn't alert the toy to her presence, she was vaguely aware of Polnareff speaking, seemingly having found the key.

" _There_ you are!"

The eyes of the doll turned to Suki. With a small motion, it shut the door in her face, the lock falling conveniently in place. Slamming her hands on the window, she desperately tried to catch the attention of the man who had crawled under the bed.

" _Polnareff!_ " She cried out. The doll seemed to snicker, as it got up, and scampered over to the bed. On instinct, she reached down to open her canteen, her hand grasping at air.

 _Shit, I left my bag in there!_ Looking around, she tried to find any source of water she could use. Her eyes landed on the pools of blood Soul had left behind.

"Nnngh…" She groaned, before calling Knight to make a watery, red hammer. Smashing the balcony door open with a frantic swing, she made a hole just big enough to reach her arm through, the weapon disappearing in a red puff. She reached in, her hand searching for the lock, as she shouted in a panicked voice, "Polnareff, the doll is going to kill you!"

"What?!" The man asked, but too late.

Seeing the man squirm slightly, as he tried to crawl out from under the bed, the toy shot wires underneath, tying the man to the bottom support of the bed.

"Shit! What's-!" Before he could get another word out, the doll maneuvered to where Polnareff's face was and threw a bowl of shampoo in his eyes, preventing him from seeing, as the demon went to work sawing off the bed supports.

"Hang on, Polnareff, I'll be in there soon!" Still fiddling with the lock, she murmured, "If I could just see this lock, I'd be able to open it…" Seeing the hole she'd made was just big enough to stick her head in. She slowly moved her head through the break-

"Don't even try it!"

As the doll shrieked, a hand razor landed in the wall right beside her, centimeters from her nose, catching a stray few strands of her hair that had come loose in the chaos. Ripping her head back, she looked back at the doll sitting satisfied on the bed, cackling maniacally.

"Try that again, and I'll fuck more up than just your face!" It snickered and laughed sadistically, sending shivers down Suki's spine, "You certainly didn't hurt me as much as your friend here, but you still earn a curse. Hmm…" Taking its spear and tapping its chin, a realization dawned on it, as its smile widened into a ghastly ear-to-ear grin, as his voice quieted to a haunting murmur, "I can tell you what's worse than any physical pain. Emotional pain. You know how I can do that? Heh heh heh…" Rising to a standing position, bringing its hands out in a showy gesture, it proclaimed, "I'll tie you up, Polnareff, nice and tight. Then, I'll make you watch as I turn her dainty flower into a thorny bramble bush!"

A loud bang was heard from under the bed, as Polnareff spat in a voice so enraged, it sounded nearly demonic, "Bastard! You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, you have no idea what I've done, to more than just you. This is nothing!" The doll cackled.

Less focused on deciphering the words the possessed toy had spoken, Suki looked about frantically for anything she could use to help her ally. In her panicked state, her mind was drawing a blank.

"Wh-what do I…?"

"Suki! I need you to listen to me for a second!" Polnareff shouted from under the bed, "Can you get to the twelfth floor from the balcony of this room?"

Looking up from the edge of the railing, she saw that the distance between the bottom of the railing on the tenth floor and the top of the railing on the ninth floor was a little daunting, but she knew she had jumped that high on several occasions back home.

"Yes, I think so!"

"Go up there and tell the rest of the group that I'll be there soon!"

Returning her gaze to the inside, she responded, "Are you nuts?! I can't just leave you here alone!"

"I'll be fine! This vulgar little shit is nothing!"

"Who's nothing, Polnareff?!" The doll began stabbing through the bed again, threatening the restrained man.

"B-but…I-!"

"I said I would protect you if he came back, and I don't go back on my word! Just get somewhere safe, dammit!"

Casting one final gaze back at the floored bed, Suki shut her eyes in frustration, before climbing on top of the railing at the edge of the balcony and crouching low, before launching herself up and grasping the tenth-floor rails.

"Aw, how noble of you. What a noble sacrifice you make, Polnareff!" The demon chortled, slashing at Silver Chariot.

"I'm not anyone's sacrifice, least of all yours!" The man asserted from his captivity under the bed, "Now, let's go!"

* * *

 _Okay, third floor up should be…!_ Grasping the twelfth-floor rails, Suki yanked herself up to see Jotaro, Abdul, Kakyoin, and Joseph all sitting in the hotel room in front of her. With a somewhat relieved smile, the girl pulled her way up and over the railing, rushing to the door.

 _It's locked?!_

Banging on the door, she startled all people in the room, save for Jotaro, who merely tilted his head up languidly, as they all gave her quizzical expressions.

 _No…Did Ebony Devil's influence even reach up here?!_

Not willing to take any more chances, fully willing to defy any rules her mother had taught her about broken glass, the girl stepped back, readying into the stance of a football tackle. After a moment, Suki launched forward with all of the force of a wild elephant, as Hierophant Green opened the door in front of her.

 _Shit._

Tripping over her own feet, Suki fell head over heels unceremoniously onto the floor of the hotel room.

"Good grief, you always know how to make an entrance," Jotaro deadpanned, as Kakyoin went to help the girl up.

"Are you all right?" The red-haired man asked, holding his hand out to her.

"We thought you were with-" Joseph started.

"P-P-Polnareff!" Suki stammered, fully panicked, "He's-he's in trouble! We have to help!"

The other men nodded as they all stood quickly and made their way back down to the ninth floor.

After Joesph had locked the door behind them, they all hurried to the stairs to descend to Polnareff's room.

"What happened after Polnareff hung up?" Abdul asked as they ran.

"Well, Soul had fallen off the balcony before we called you, and we didn't see any sign of his body then. It couldn't have just disappeared, so I went to take another look," Suki's face hardened as she replayed the scene in her mind, reconnecting the dots leading to the doll's possession "The room key had disappeared, so Polnareff began looking for it. He found it under the bed, but the doll that we found in the room when we entered came to life, locked me out, and tied Polnareff up under the bed!"

Abdul locked eyes with Joseph before explaining, "That man is a hired assassin. He controls his Stand through the power of its grudge against that attacker. To ordinary people, his victims look as if they died to a curse."

"So _that's_ why he let Polnareff and I attack him…" Suki mused, as they finally reached the ninth floor, beginning to run down the hall.

"You attacked him too, Suki?" Kakyoin asked from behind.

"Yeah. He said he would curse me by… hmmm…" She thought back, trying once again to decipher his words, to no avail, "Well, he said he would turn my flower into brambles… But that could be some sort of hitman code for another message…" Out of the corner of her eye, Suki saw Kakyoin's mouth fall open in shock, and the corners of Jotaro's mouth pulled down into a slight grimace, "What, did you guys crack the code?"

"U-uhm…well…" Kakyoin fumbled over his words before looking up and directing the girl's attention to another point, relieved upon seeing Polnareff's door, "Oh, look, we're here!"

Trying the handle, Suki, much to her disappointment, found the door was locked.

"Uh, does anyone have a lockpick?" Suki turned her attention to the rest of the group. Jotaro stepped towards the door and responded.

"No, but we have a battering ram."

"Oh, we do? Where is-!"

Before Suki could even blink, Jotaro summoned Star Platinum and punched the door down.

"Oh. There it is."

Without another word, the girl rushed into the dim room, despite the warnings of her comrades behind her. Reaching the bed, she looked underneath to see no sign of Polnareff. Standing up and taking the rest of the room into account, she noticed the broken wine bottles and the juice, beer, and alcohol mix coating the floor around the bed. The full-length mirror that had once stood prettily in the room was now in shambles, and glass shards were strewn about the room. Several holes had been poked in the bed, and bits of blood had been flung about the room, only adding to the red liquid that had spattered when fighting Soul Sacrifice beforehand. In the room, there were only the remnants of chaos, and the lonely sound of a single faucet running.

"Polnareff…?" Suki called out weakly, her voice hoarse from overuse. Suddenly, the faucet turned off, as the door to the bathroom opened. Out stepped Polnareff, using a towel to dry his face. His neck had a few nicks in it, but, apart from that, the man appeared to be fine.

"Jeez, first I have that bastard Stand user to deal with, now I've got people busting down my door?" Removing the cloth, he looked to his left to see the other four men in the group standing in the doorway. Surprised, he draped the towel over his shoulders as he remarked, "Oh, you guys! I thought we were meeting on the twelfth floor?"

"That was the plan, but I believe your little friend had a difference of opinion." Abdul explained, pointing behind the Frenchman. Following the direction of his finger, Polnareff turned his attention behind him to see his roommate staring at him wide-eyed. The girl slowly stepped forward, the glass crinkling and liquid splashing under each step. Finally reaching the man, only a few inches in front of him, she gazed up at him, as his expression remained confused, until he looked closely at her. The only sign of her emotions was a small quivering of her eyes, but it spoke volumes about how she truly felt.

Without speaking another word, the corners of Polnareff's lips turned up in an uncharacteristic gentle smile, as he pulled Suki close, embracing her, but careful to keep a small distance between the two of them. The girl rested her head on his chest as she couldn't restrain her sobs. Motioning to the rest of the group to give the two a moment alone, Joseph led the others out of the room.

"I…I'm sorry…" The girl whimpered, bringing her hands up to rub her eyes, "I couldn't…I couldn't think of anything else to do to help…" The man holding her rubbed her back comfortingly, as her voice shook, barely above a whisper, "I thought I was strong enough to leave the nest, but I can't go a day without needing to be picked back up…I'm supposed to help you guys, but I can't even do _that_ right…"

The silver-haired man pored over what he could do or say to cheer up the crying girl in his arms.

 _It's…It's been a long time, since then,_ the man thought.

Finally coming up with something, Polnareff spoke.

"Actually, there's something you can give me right now, if you want to help me."

Looking up curiously, the girl sniffled, "What can I give you?"

"You can give me…your body."

The girl's mouth fell slightly agape, as she cast her gaze downward. A tense silence followed, as Polnareff was ready to accept the divine wrath of any angry god, if he was wrong about how naïve he thought the youth in front of him was.

Bubbling up from deep within, the girl tilted her head back and laughed, her eyes closed as her jovial chuckling tinkled like silver bells on Christmas night.

"That's ridiculous, Polnareff!" She giggled, rubbing the remnants of tears from her eyes, "I still need this body, silly! I can't just _give_ it to you!" Parting from the embrace, still smiling from his joke, the girl asked, "What were you even planning on doing with it if I gave it to you?"

"Well, I actually wasn't expecting you to say 'yes'…" Polnareff chuckled nervously. Whether he voiced the request figuratively or in completely literal terms, like with the little lady in front of him, he did not expect this girl to agree either way. Suki joined his laughter with a weak chuckle.

Suddenly, the man wobbled slightly, threatening to fall onto the girl. She caught him without a moment's hesitation, holding him by the shoulders.

"Are you all right?!" She asked concernedly.

"Yeah, I just…" Polnareff sighed, exhausted, "I-I'm so tired…"

Looking about the room, Suki spotted her satchel by the bed, surprisingly untouched in all of the chaos.

"Knight, could you please…?" Summoning her Stand, the spirit nodded to her user before dashing into the liquid coating the floor, moving to take the bag by the strap and bring it back to her. Nodding her thanks to the Stand, Knight gave two thumbs up before phasing out of view. Supporting the much larger man on her shoulder, Suki slowly made her way back to the door.

"Don't worry. We'll get back to room 1212, and you can rest there while I fix you up," Looking to her ally, she smiled that childish grin of hers, "Okay?"

The man nodded. As the girl kept her attention focused on getting to the end of the hallway, Polnareff mulled over their conversation. He had lied about what he wanted Suki to give him, but only because, if he had been honest, she would've only asked questions, and what he got wouldn't have been real.

He didn't want her body.

He wanted her smile.

* * *

After dressing the wounds of the tired Polnareff, as the group of six chatted about the fight with Ebony Devil, the Frenchman mentioned he would go back to his room to grab his bag. Unfortunately, he was apprehended on the way back. The police had found his fingerprints on the collar of Soul Sacrifice, whose corpse was discovered by maintenance in the men's public restrooms. The only reason Polnareff's arrest was discovered by the group of heroes was because he was given one phone call.

"Mr. Joestar, I may be a little late coming back…" The Frenchman stated dismally. After explaining his situation, Joseph reassured the man that he would get lawyers from the Speedwagon Foundation on the job as soon as humanly possible. Before hanging up, Polnareff had one more request.

"Name it. I'm listening."

"If the police are doing their job, then they know I wasn't the only one staying in that room," Taking a breath, he continued, "I don't want to get her involved in this mess. Could you keep her hidden for a little while? Until all of this blows over?"

"Yeah, I can take care of that."

"Thanks, Mr. Joestar. See you later."

With that, Polnareff hung up, Joseph following suit. Nodding to Abdul, the robed man stood up.

"Where are you going?" Suki asked.

"Polnareff said he's been arrested for killing Soul Sacrifice. He suggested that we hide you, since you could be suspected. So, Abdul and I will go out and find a disguise for you," Walking to the door, he waved back and said, "We'll be back soon!"

The door shut, leaving Kakyoin, Jotaro, and Suki to have the whole room to themselves.

"Ooh, I wonder what kind of costume I'll get to wear…!" Suki let her daydreams run wild as her mind conjured up various outfits of different cuts and colors that would make her look stylish.

"Don't get your hopes up too high. You're supposed to avoid attention, not draw it," Jotaro piped up, looking the girl's outfit from top to bottom, "I mean, just ditch the Mini Caped Crusader ensemble, and no one will know it's you."

"Huh? I can't just take this off! These clothes were made special for me…"

"You never take those off?" Kakyoin asked, tilting his head at her outburst.

"I mean, I wear pajamas, and I wash these whenever I get the opportunity," Suki shrugged, "If something is cool-looking and comfortable, why wouldn't you wear it all the time?"

The girl darted her eyes over at Jotaro, noticing him staring at her. He nonchalantly turned his gaze to another point in the room. Before Suki could re-engage in conversation with Kakyoin, the thug spoke up.

"You're really attached to that outfit, huh?"

Fiddling with the hem of her shirt, she mumbled, "Yeah."

* * *

"Is it a puppy?"

"No, keep guessing."

"Is it a stallion?"

"Nope."

This back-and-forth had continued for quite some time on the sibling pair's journey to the local tailor's. Suki's birthday had come and gone, but Kyuu had still sent a request for a special surprise to be made when he came home for a visit. The afternoon sun shined down harshly on the gritty sands of the suburb, but the two felt like they were walking through the cool blue sky, hand-in-hand.

"Is it a puppy?"

"You already guessed that, Sis."

"Well, I don't know what else to guess!" Gazing upward, the girl saw the familiar sign she always saw when she went out to visit her friend, "Does Michel have something to do with it?"

"Maybe…" Kyuu said liltingly.

The door to the tailor's emitted a ringing sound as the brother and sister walked in, greeted by a cold-looking girl with black curls and night-blue eyes. Her face brightened as she saw the incoming visitors, albeit almost imperceptibly.

"Sukiyaki, Kyuu. Great timing, I _just_ put the finishing touches on your order," The girl behind the counter disappeared down a hall leading to the counter. Suki's eyes widened as she looked at her big brother.

"You got me a _costume_?!"

The man nodded with a big smile on his face, "Sure did! You'll love it, I promise."

"Thank you, Big Bro!" Suki embraced Kyuu tightly.

"Here it is," Michel came out with a large white box in her hands and a book tucked under her arm. Laying the white box on the countertop, she noticed Suki's expectant gaze following the movement of the package.

"Well, go on and open it, Sis! I want to see it on you."

Looking between Kyuu and the girl behind the counter, Suki excitedly opened the package and took out the costume, holding it in front of her. Seeing this outfit, Kyuu's face almost imperceptibly fell.

"Heheh, looks cool, huh? Can I try it on, Michel?"

"Of course. It _is_ your birthday present, after all," the girl responded with a small smile. As the brunette disappeared into one of the changing rooms, Michel pulled the book out from under her arm and opened it to the page Kyuu had bookmarked. The tome contained several pictures of historical monuments, the one on the bookmarked page being a Sir Galahad statue in Canada.

"Where are the pauldrons?" Kyuu asked lowly.

"Come again?"

"The pauldrons, the skirt, the tights, the belt! None of that is in the box?" The man opened it, and, upon seeing nothing left in the package, slammed the lid shut.

"I wanted to make the costume more comfortable for Suki, _and_ I wanted to at least try and help your image of this pristine little angel," The girl spat, turning her head away from the customer.

"I _told_ you, this needed to be one to one! This is not what I asked for!" Kyuu slammed his hands on the counter, boring into the cold eyes of Michel with his own blues, as he continued to whisper aggressively, afraid of showing his anger to his innocent little sister, "I wanted to give her the perfect birthday present, and you just up and ruined it!"

"Big Bro…?" Suki asked, peering from around the curtain out to the counter. A worried expression made its home on her face.

Sighing, Kyuu gave in, "Everything's alright. Let's have a look at you."

Her eyes lighting up, she disappeared behind the curtain. Not a moment later, she leapt out and flexed her arms in showmanship. The cape was about half as long as the one on the statue, and, instead of a short shirt and skirt combo, the shirt draped down over the top part of the thighs, with shorts that poked out slightly from underneath. The costume was a rich blue color, with white trim along the edges of each piece of the ensemble.

"What do you think, Big Bro?" The girl asked expectantly.

Kyuu was mesmerized by the utter innocence of the sister in front of him. Her smile blended so well with the outfit, giving the image of a plucky young knight, come to save the day. He swallowed thickly.

"You look just like a real knight."

Beaming and blushing, Suki dashed about in the small space, feeling her cape flying behind her, squealing in glee.

"Thank you so much, Big Bro! I love it!"

As the girl danced about the room, her brother still stared at her, his eyes quivering. Michel leaned over with a bland expression.

"So, who exactly was this 'perfect birthday present' for?"

Kyuu didn't even look the girl in the eye as he sighed, ignoring her to watch his little sister bounce about the room, perfectly satisfied with her imperfect gift.

* * *

"…ki. Suki!"

Returning from her daydream, Suki noticed the two students staring at her from the bed across from the one she sat on.

"Are you all right, Suki? You looked worried," the red-haired man looked concerned himself, from his place seated on the bed near the window.

"Oh, uh, I did? Well, I was just lost in thought. That's all," the girl couldn't help reminiscing about the conversation she had had with Polnareff.

 _Was he trying to isolate me?_ She wondered. Shaking her head, choosing to dismiss the thought until a later point, she clapped her hands together in realization.

"Ah, I just remembered something!" Pointing to both men, she asked, "You both said you were students, right?"

"What about it?" Jotaro asked after a pause, as he laid on his back next to Kakyoin, his feet still on the ground as he stared up at the ceiling.

Swallowing nervously, the girl asked her request with a small blush, "Could…could one of you teach me English?"

The two students exchanged a skeptical glance. Then, Kakyoin spoke up.

"I'm confused. Your speaking and listening skills are on par with Jotaro's, and with mine."

"Well," the youth rubbed her elbow, resting her head on her shoulder in a slightly dejected manner, "I've been homeschooled all my life, so the only English lessons I got were around the house. It works fine for talking with friends and family, sure," Raising her hands to her chin and curling them into fists in a gesture of enthusiasm, she claimed determinedly, "But I want to be able to live in an English-speaking country for an extended period of time. I want to see my dad and sister!"

"Couldn't you just wait for them to come home?" Kakyoin pressed, genuinely curious.

Somewhat startled, Suki lowered her hands and began to fiddle with the hem of her shirt. She mumbled, "It's…not that simple."

"What do you-oof!" Kakyoin started before being elbowed in the side by Jotaro, who had sat up without his knowledge. Looking at him confusedly, meeting his gaze, the thug shook his head. Catching on to his mistake, the redhead turned his attention back to the girl and clasped his hands together in apology.

"Please, forgive me, I didn't-"

"It's okay," she looked up with an acceptant smile, "I don't mind talking about it."

"You sure?" Blue Eyes asked.

Suki nodded. Normally, talking about this made her incredibly uncomfortable, but the stress of the day had loosened her up. At least, that's how she saw it.

"My dad left my mom when I was ten. He went back home to Liverpool, and took my sister, Aoi, with him. We… haven't heard from them since," She looked up with a determined smile, "I want to make it up to my mom for putting up with me for so long. Ever since Dio came back, no matter what my brother or I did, we would just keep worrying her. But, she would always smile and tell us that everything is okay, that 'you should just worry about you. Mama can take care of herself.' After this journey…" the girl looked up at both students, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, "I want to keep my mom from ever feeling alone again."

Realizing how quiet the other two had been, she finally noticed their reactions to her determination. Kakyoin's eyes were closed as he had raised a hand to his chin in thought, while Jotaro, surprising the girl beyond belief, actually looked surprised, his eyes wide and his typical frown slightly shrunken. Tilting her head as she locked eyes with him, the thug blinked and his expression returned to its usual stoic condition.

"I want to go to England, find my dad and sister, and bring them home. Or…try to, at least," she concluded.

"That settles that, then," Kakyoin spoke, a grin spreading his lips in, from what Suki knew, an uncharacteristic expression.

"Wait, you mean…?" Suki asked expectantly.

Standing up with a flourish, Kakyoin threw his arm out in a theatrical gesture, his stray strand of hair swaying from the sudden movement, "Yes, I will teach you!"

With a gleeful squeal, Suki jumped up and hugged him tightly, knocking the wind out of him. Pulling back, she asked, "How soon can we start?"

Placing his hands on her shoulders, an excited glint in his eyes, he claimed, "As soon as I can get my materials together. Shouldn't take more than a day!"

"That's amazing!"

"Good grief, you two dorks," Jotaro mumbled.

"Why, you-!" Suki started, gritting her teeth.

"Now, now, Suki, not everyone is as gung-ho about studying outside of school," sighing, he spoke disdainfully, "It's but one of many problems in this world."

"Mm," Suki nodded after thinking for a moment, choosing to trust his words.

"Hey, kid," Jotaro asked, staring at the ceiling from his position on his back. Suki turned, guessing he was referring to her by the nickname, "Speaking of dorky things, that dance you did-"

"Aagh…" Suki blushed furiously as she ruffled her hair with both hands, "I knew I'd look like a dork doing that! I know I had the moves down, but I don't have the charisma."

"I feel like I've heard that song before…" Kakyoin absentmindedly twirled his hair in his fingers, closing his eyes in thought, "Some idol group…"

"'Some' idol group? You mean the best idol group?" Suki leant forward, and both men were sure they could see steam coming out of her nose in puffs, as her eyes glittered in admiration, "Dancing All Night! Ever since I saw them perform on a trip my mom and I took, I've been one of their biggest fans! I have videos of all of their big performances back home!"

"Ah, right, I remember hearing a couple of their songs when I was younger. I haven't heard as much from them nowadays, but they were very popular," Kakyoin shrugged and suggested, "Maybe they've lost their appeal because they've gotten older."

"What do you mean?" Suki tilted her head, unsure how trends fluctuated in Japan.

"Well, idols are viewed differently from other types of music artists and bands," the honor student folded his arms and closed his eyes in thought, "Instead of becoming beloved figures because of their vocal or dancing prowess, they focus on creating an image of purity, innocence, and charm," opening his eyes and gifting the girl with a gentle smile, he admitted, "I don't keep up much with idol trends myself, but I do see why they're popular."

"Well, these guys are different! They put love and care into every motion and every lyric of their performances! They make a showcase of prowess their goal!" Putting a hand to her chin and tilting her head, she wondered aloud, "Maybe… that could be why they lost popularity? They're not a very idol-y idol group…"

At random, the girl's eyes landed on the clock on the bedside table.

"Aw, jeez, they'll probably be back soon," Picking up her bag, she stepped to the bathroom, before looking back to ask a question, "You two don't mind if I shower, do you? I don't want to get the new clothes dirty."

"Why're you asking us, it's not our room," Jotaro deadpanned.

Kakyoin rolled his eyes playfully before turning to Suki, and assuring, "We won't mind."

With a smile, the girl disappeared into the bright bathroom, the door shutting gently behind her. Almost immediately, the sound of water rushing out of the nozzle emanated from the closed door, followed by the soft sound of a feminine voice humming a catchy tune. His lips quirking up ever so slightly, Kakyoin got up and walked towards the mirror, pulling out his comb and running it through his locks, as Jotaro made himself more comfortable on the bed. After a few minutes, filled only by the sound of running water, the redhead sighed, and looked back to the silent man behind him, who had his eyes closed.

"Why do you talk so much around her?" The man asked his companion behind him.

"Hm?" Jotaro opened his eyes, uncertain if he had heard his comrade's question correctly.

"You talk a lot, when she's around," Kakyoin turned to look at the thug with a serene smile, "I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I just wondered why."

The question seemed to propel Jotaro into deep thought, as he took the brim of his hat in his fingers and fiddled with it. A minute later, he finally spoke.

"Just messing with her."

Suddenly, the two heard the sound of the door unlocking, followed shortly by the sound of the water in the bathroom being turned off.

"We're back," Joseph announced, carrying a large shopping bag.

"We would've been back earlier, if Joseph hadn't gotten distracted," Abdul smirked.

Mr. Joestar scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "I thought Holly would like it if I brought something back for her, to celebrate her recovery,"

"I understand that, Mr. Joestar, but you don't have to bring her a mountain," Shaking his head, he muttered, "I had to keep putting clothes back while you weren't looking so we wouldn't have to buy the cart, too."

Looking back at his friend with a betrayed expression, Joseph exclaimed, "That was _you_? I filed a complaint with the staff because I thought they were pulling a prank on me!"

"Where is Suki?" Abdul asked, completely ignoring the man beside him.

Jotaro merely pointed towards the bathroom. Right on cue, the door pulled open, and the girl in question stepped out with dripping hair in nothing but a bath towel. She appeared to be lost in thought, for she didn't notice the two men flushed red in front of her until she stepped into the hallway.

"Ah!" She squeaked in surprise, as she rushed back into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. Her muffled voice barely came through the thick wood, "S-s-sorry!"

Joseph chuckled as Abdul cleared his throat, regaining his composure.

"It's alright, Suki. Here, I'm going to put the clothes we bought right by the door," The old man notified, placing the bag on the floor. A moment later, the door opened and a single hand emerged, grabbing the bag and yanking it into the room. Abdul and Joseph walked the rest of the way into the room and made themselves comfortable as they waited for the girl to change.

Five minutes passed, and the four men heard the door open. Out walked Suki, scratching her head embarrassedly.

"Sorry about that. I'm used to having the room to myself," She confessed.

"It's _alright_ , Suki, no one's mad at you," Joseph assured. Beckoning to her, he coaxed, "Come on, let's have a look at you."

She nodded and stepped in front of the mirror, as the old man stood next to her, awaiting her response.

The outfit Abdul and Joseph picked out was certainly unique. A pair of neat blue jeans and a plain white tank-top were only visible from the front: all else was covered by a light, chalky gray trenchcoat, with a matching gray newsboy cap.

The girl examined herself closely, pushing her hat back and pulling it forward experimentally. As she began to try different poses, Kakyoin covered his mouth with his hand to hide a smile, as he snickered quietly. Curious to his reaction, Jotaro watched Suki gesture, until she leaned down and pointed at her reflection. Only then did Jotaro realize the same idea Kakyoin had.

Suki looked somewhat like a miniature Jotaro.

Sighing, the delinquent fiddled with the brim of his cap, pulling it down over his eyes.

"Well, what do you think?" Mr. Joestar asked expectantly.

Putting her hands on her hips and closing her eyes for a moment of thought, she opened them and explained, "It's a really cool outfit, and I _do_ like it…I just don't think it's _my_ style," Leaning forward, she murmured with a hand on her chin, "Maybe if I…"

In seconds, the girl shrugged off the jacket and tied it around her waist, and tilted the hat on her head so it sat somewhat askew. Returning her hands to her hips and turning to one side, then the other, she grinned.

"That's _much_ better!"

"Glad to hear you approve!" Joseph patted the girl on the shoulder. Turning his attention back to the rest of the group, he expressed, "Well, I think now is as good a time as any to figure out our way to Egypt."

As the older man sat on the bed next to Abdul, Suki remembered how Polnareff said his goals differed from those of his comrades.

"Uhm, before we do, though…" Suki spoke up tepidly, all attention shifting to her. Clearing her throat, she made her request known, "I never really got to ask, but why are you guys going to fight Dio?"

The men exchanged looks before, surprising all, Jotaro answered her question first.

"My mom has a Stand, but it's killing her. She only got the Stand because of Dio's existence, so the only way to save her is to kill Dio."

"Wait, he's killing someone just by being _alive_?"

Sensing the youth's next question, Joseph explained, "Dio stole the body of my grandfather, Jonathan. I'm sure you knew that much, though."

"Yeah," She thought back to her meetings with the monster in that black void. Sighing, she grimaced, "He certainly likes to boast that accomplishment."

"He's connected to us through the Joestar bloodline. He's the reason Jotaro and I have Stands as well."

"Okay, but you guys seem able to handle yourselves well enough. Why can't she?"

"Unfortunately, she lacks the strength of will to control it properly," Abdul piped up. Casting his gaze over to the enraptured girl, he concluded, "If we do not defeat Dio in time, Holly Kujo will die."

One could hear a pin while it's falling in the silence that followed, as Suki's anxiety grasped her with hooked claws.

 _How monstrously powerful can a creature be, to kill people without even trying, just by breathing?_ She worried.

"Hey," Jotaro spoke up, causing Suki to jump. Locking eyes with the man, she gave a small, bashful smile, "We'll kick his ass, alright? We'll save my mom and find your brother. There's no questioning that. You can ask all the 'what if's you want when you're dead."

Suki was struck by the teen's determination.

 _Yeah…_ She thought, _if I wanna defeat Dio…I have to believe that I can._

Taking a deep breath, the girl fist-pumped and spoke, "All right. No more worries."

The other men nodded, as Suki sat on the bed next to Kakyoin. They then began to plan the long, perilous journey ahead.

* * *

Chapter Three – The Devil Went Down to Singapore

-END-

|To Be Continued|\|/

* * *

 **I think I may be one of the hokiest writers I know... I really hope this wasn't too corny for all of you! "-_- I also just realized how dumb the chapter title looks, but I am adamant, dammit! Imma keep my chapter order, with the prologue being chapter one, and it going from there! With that said, I will see you all next week with the next chapter! -BlueBow**


	5. Chapter 4 - Impression of Yellow Temp

**WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by another warning right beforehand, and another line right where the explicit scene ends. You have been warned.**

 **Apologies for my lateness, time got away from me yesterday! Anyhow, on with the chapter!**

* * *

After figuring out their route to Egypt, night had already fallen. Suki decided it would be best to sleep in the chair in Joseph and Abdul's room, even if her back disagreed. The exhaustion from the Stand fight against Soul Sacrifice earlier that day hit the girl like a steamroller, as she sat down in the chair in her loose t-shirt and boxers. Despite the turned-on lights in the room and the sounds of her two roommates preparing for bed in the bathroom, she instantly fell into a dreamless sleep.

Hours later, she opened her eyes to a dark room. Giving her eyes a moment to adjust, she reached a hand up and scratched her head, stretching the other arm out as she yawned quietly. Moving to get up, she noticed that a blanket now covered her legs. Smiling at the small kindness her allies had displayed, she stood up from the chair, despite the complaints from her spine. Padding over to the window with bare feet, she delicately spread the curtains just enough to peek outside.

 _It's still dark…_ Suki turned her head and examined the analog clock on the wall. _Almost six a.m, so it shouldn't be much longer before the sun rises…I think._

Placing a hand to her chin in thought, she wondered what to do for however long it took for the rest of the group to wake up.

 _Visiting hours at the hospital aren't for another four hours, and I don't know when the detention center will allow for visitors, but it certainly wouldn't be open to the public at such an ungodly hour… Maybe I can just wander around for a few hours…_

Turning back from the window, the girl crept past the snoring Mr. Joestar in the bed close to the window and the peacefully quiet Abdul in the next bed over to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, Suki was ready for the day, and left a note where she had slept, thanking the two men for allowing her to stay, and the areas she would be visiting that morning, if they woke up before she returned. Satisfied, the youth tiptoed out of the room, satchel in tow, as she quietly closed the door behind her.

 _Hopefully I won't need to come back here for a while. I couldn't just abscond with their only key, after all._ Pulling her bag further up onto her shoulder, she strolled to the twelfth floor landing, descending down the stairs to the lobby.

Upon reaching the ground floor, Suki was not surprised to find the decadent clamor of yesterday afternoon to be absent, save for the minute chattering of on-the-clock employees and a few early risers. The room was so quiet that the girl felt guilty making even the most microscopic noise with her footsteps, yet she knew she couldn't creep everywhere if she actually wanted to explore productively.

"Finding everything alright?" The man behind the front desk asked quietly as she breezed by. She turned back with a small smile.

"Just fine, thank you." The girl returned at the same volume. The employee nodded in response before turning back to the stack of papers in front of him. Turning the corner, Suki readjusted the newsboy cap on her head.

 _It doesn't look like anyone has recognized me so far. That's good._ Grinning to herself, she reflected, _I must've made such an impression with my first outfit that they didn't even pay attention to my face!_

As she strolled down the empty hall, Suki heard a distinct, familiar sound.

 _They have a piano here?_ Picking up her pace, the tune became louder as she approached. While the song was unfamiliar, it was upbeat and, in a way, exciting.

Entering the room, Suki immediately noticed the classy opulence of the lounge area. Red velvet covered the seats placed against the wall, in groups with cream-colored chaise lounges, with tables sitting in the middle of the small circles of furniture. The drapes had been opened to reveal the still dark night whispering outside, as the sky showed minuscule signs of the sun finally beginning to rise. A brilliantly shining chandelier hung over the true centerpiece of the room, a large, ebony piano, voicing sweeping melodies that wove together into the tune that reached and enchanted the ears of any who dared to listen at that moment.

The instrument was situated in such a manner that Suki could not even see the player when she walked in, obscured by the lid and music rack. Determined to discover the identity of this expert player, she tiptoed closer, so as not to disturb the graceful machinations of this pro player. The few other people amusing themselves in the room seemed to blur into the background, as all the girl focused on was the melody flowing from the piano. Listening closer, the piece seemed to be more complex than on the outset, constantly keeping both hands of the player active, as fingers skittered across the keys like spiders' legs, notes bursting out in a fast-paced rhythm that hardly ever seemed to stop for breath. Reaching the edge of the piano, Suki became nervous, turning away from the musician performing magic right in front of her. She stood with her back to the keys as she merely listened to the song nearing its end, the player clearly too invested in their work to even notice her presence. The song finally ended on a triumphant high note, as the person swept their hand across the keys, finishing with a flourish. A sigh was heard behind the girl, as she heard the sound of hands meeting fabric. It seemed as if the song had taken quite a bit out of the player, as they rested their aching hands on their knees. Finally finding her courage, the girl spoke up tepidly.

"You played beautifully."

Suddenly, the sound of a hand slamming the keys with no fanfare reached the girl's ears, as she sidled around the instrument to see she had utterly startled the musician with her presence. Her eyes widened as she discovered that she knew the identity of this musician.

"J-Jotaro?!"

"Good grief, you could at least give me a warning that you're there," The student huffed, as he adjusted his hat.

"I didn't want to interrupt," The girl responded, casting her eyes away as she twiddled her fingers. "Sorry for startling you. I didn't know you'd be down here so early."

"Same to you. You don't seem like one of those people who wakes up at five a.m. every damn day."

"I'm not. I just woke up and couldn't go back to sleep," She looked up at the thug, "That what happened to you?"

Jotaro nodded.

"I just need to wear my brain out. Then I can go back to sleep."

"How long have you been down here?" The man shrugged. Suki didn't have to ask to know what was keeping sleep out of her comrade's grasp. Unintentionally, she let out a small chuckle, catching the attention of Jotaro, as he looked in her direction with eyes that were all too good at concealing his hidden exhaustion.

"Sorry, I just find it ironic," Scratching the back of her neck, she continued, "You were getting all high and mighty, telling me not to worry about anything, but here you are, literally worrying yourself sick."

The girl swore she could see Jotaro's eyebrows raise the smallest fraction. Thinking for a moment on how to remedy the issue, the girl pulled out her amulet and twisted the knob. An innocent, quiet tune began to play from it. Seeing the man across from her looking curiously at the object, she turned her own gaze to it.

"My big brother gave me this. Whenever I have trouble sleeping, I just turn the knob and listen," Removing the little star from around her neck, she took one of Jotaro's hands and placed the chain and centerpiece into his palm, closing her own hand over it, "I don't know if it will work for you, but I want to give it a shot," Locking eyes with his, her lips turned up in a gentle smile, "Could you try to go back and get some sleep, now?" Keeping his eyes connected on their hands, connected by the small music box, he spoke quietly.

"You sure you're okay letting me borrow this?"

"Well, if you guys can trust me with your lives, then I think I can trust you with something valuable to me. Besides," She took her hand off of his and scratched her cheek, "I have to be useful somehow. It's the least I could do."

After a small pause, the man sighed and placed the amulet in his pocket, as he stood and closed the lid of the piano. The girl turned to walk away, but she was stopped by her name being called. She twisted her head back and tilted her head, confused as to what Jotaro could have forgotten.

"The old man told me to go out and get the tickets for the train tomorrow. Enemy Stand users could be lurking anywhere, so it's best to travel in numbers. Get me?" He asked, fiddling with the brim of his hat.

"I get you," The girl nodded and turned with a wave, "I'll meet up with you later!"

As Suki finally rushed off, Jotaro thumbed the necklace resting in his pocket, sighing and shaking his head as he made his way back to his room.

* * *

"What are you doing here?!"

Suki set her bag down in the chair across from the man she had chosen to visit, separated by a wall of glass, settling herself down in front of it with a confused expression.

"Is it wrong to come see a friend who's been arrested?"

"No, it's just…" Polnareff scratched the back of his head, "I didn't expect to see you here, is all."

"Well, you were arrested so late yesterday, I didn't get a chance to see you before the detention center closed," Shrugging her shoulders, the girl continued, "I thought you'd be lonely in here, so I wanted to visit you."

The man across from her sighed.

"You don't have to be so clingy. I'm a grown man, I can fend for myself."

Suki's mouth gaped a bit, before she tilted her head, her cheeks heating slightly.

"Sorry, I guess I have gotten a bit over-attached, huh?"

Reminiscing over what had happened in the past day, the man distinctly remembered his own emotional reactions to the feelings of the girl he sat across from. His concern over her own anxiety, his unrelenting anger at The Devil's implications of how he would harm her, his clarity of mind in the knowledge of her safety, and, above all, his sense of calm in the falling action, reassuring the youth that everything was alright and seeing her smile again.

 _Shit, I guess I'm guilty of that, too_ , he thought.

Trying to find a way to change the subject, Polnareff took a closer look at the clothes Suki was wearing.

"So, that's your disguise?"

Startled from her thoughts, the girl's eyebrows raised slightly before she turned the question over in her head. After a moment, she nodded.

"You look cute."

At this, the girl blushed furiously and dragged her hat down over her eyes, rubbing the brim between her thumbs and forefingers and grinning sheepishly.

"C-Come on, don't say stuff like that…"

"But I have to! You have to get the truth from someone!" Hiding her face with her hands, she looked up at Polnareff between the gaps of her fingers. After a moment, she giggled, bringing her hands down, as the man laughed with her at the preceding exchange. Quieting down, he took the opportunity to ease her worries, "The Speedwagon Foundation lawyers Joseph called out to should get everything fixed by the end of the day. If I'm not back in the room by this evening, I'll meet you guys at the train station tomorrow."

"Okay!" The girl nodded. Bringing her fists up to her chin in a determined gesture, she claimed, "If they try and leave without you, I'm gonna bite people!"

"Please, don't do that," The man nervously laughed, only imagining what chaos could ensue from a person like her running around and gnawing on people until she got what she wanted.

Plastering her hands on the glass separating them, Suki clarified, "So, I'll _definitely_ see you tomorrow, right?"

"You _definitely_ will," He promised, meeting her hands through the glass, drinking in her excited expression and sparkling eyes. After a moment, the girl observed what they were doing, and leaned back in her seat, giggling softly. With a confused smile, the Frenchman asked, "What's so funny?"

"I just swear I've seen a scene just like this in some romcom I caught my mom watching," Her giggles subsiding, she explained, "You know that one scene, where the boy and the girl are separated by a window, but they want to be with each other so much that they can't help from reaching out?" Resting her head in one hand, she blushed, "Man, it's such a cute thing, too. Part of me wants that to happen with the man I love…" Shaking her head, dispelling her daydream, she looked up with a smile, "Well, I'd best be off. See you tomorrow!"

"Yeah, see you," The man returned the girl's wave before she exited the room. After she left, he rested his head in his hand with a sigh.

"Hey, you! They want you back for more questioning," The guard called out to Polnareff, snapping the man out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," Casting one look back at the closed door, the man left for the interrogation room.

* * *

"Hi, yes, I'm here to see Minaj?"

"Ah, you're one of the people who brought her in, yes?" The receptionist beckoned to one of the nurses milling about behind the front desk, who approached quickly upon her call, "Please, direct this young lady to room 202," The nurse nodded.

"Right this way."

"Thank you very much," Suki nodded, following the nurse down the hall and up the stairs to the room in question. Upon reaching the door, the nurse knocked on it, looking back to the visitor.

"Please, wait here a moment."

The woman entered the room, closing the door behind her. After a few moments of muffled murmuring, the door opened again and the nurse poked her head out, coaxing Suki inside. Following her gesture, the girl entered the room, switching places with the nurse, who exited to give the two some privacy.

Minaj looked much better than she had the day before. Any signs of blunt trauma to her body had already faded to dull bruises, and her head had been wrapped in bandages to prevent bleeding from the home the flesh bud had previously made for itself. The girl looked solemnly out the window before turning her attention to her entering friend, as she smiled weakly.

"Kiki, how are you?"

Suki walked forward and pulled a chair up to Minaj's bed, remembering that she _had_ wrapped her chest in bandages, due to habit. Despite her feminine tank top and jeans, she still looked like a boy to her friend.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that question? You're the one who got roughed up."

"Yeah, but…" The bedridden girl turned her head to the side, "I said all of that awful stuff to you. I'm sorry about that."

"So, you were aware of what was happening, even though you were being controlled?" This was news to Suki.

"Yeah. Dio managed to get me back in Egypt. He ambushed me, and I was sent straight off to Singapore."

Putting a hand to her chin, Suki finished the thought, "And it didn't look suspicious at all because people would assume that you were just going to visit your dad. Do I have that right?"

"Yeah. I remember reaching my dad's place, and him telling my mom that I got there alright, so no one was suspicious," Shaking her head, Minaj queried, "What I wanna know is why the hell are you sticking your neck out like this? Even being in Dio's presence is no cakewalk, why the hell are you out to kill him?"

Scanning her surroundings to make sure no one was listening, Suki leaned in and whispered, "I wanna get rid of Dio, but his death isn't my only priority. I want to find my brother, too," The girl looked up to see Minaj making a concerned face, "Don't worry. I'm not doing this alone."

"I know. Just be careful, alright?"

The girl nodded. After a pause, she got up, preparing to leave.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're recovering well enough. You should probably lay low until all of this Dio business blows over, though. Wouldn't want you to get in more trouble."

"Wait, you're leaving already?" Minaj asked, reaching out to her friend. Suki looked back with a guilty smile.

"I promised one of my friends that I would meet up with him to prepare for the upcoming trip out of Singapore. I don't want to keep him waiting longer than I have to."

"Well, can you at least take this?" Minaj held her closed hand out. Suki walked back over and held out her own hand, receiving her friend's gift. A cassette tape was placed in her hand. The bedridden girl reached under the sheets and pulled out her tape player and earbuds.

"But, that's…" Suki shook her head, "I can't just take that from you."

"You've got a long journey ahead. I think you'll get more use out of this than I will," Minaj nodded and pushed the device towards her friend, "Take it."

Sighing, Suki took the player in her hand and placed it in her bag.

"Okay, but I'm not keeping this forever, got it?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't! I'm just letting you borrow it, get me?"

"Got you."

The two girls laughed. Suki turned to walk out again, but this time, she stopped and looked back over her shoulder.

"Hey, Minaj?" A pause, "Thanks again for making that fake amulet for me. I'll pay you back for it as soon as I come home."

With a nod, Minaj waved goodbye to Suki as she exited the room and walked back down the hall, making her way back to the hotel.

* * *

"Okay, I get why we let Kakyoin come along," Suki kept her mouth closed, speaking to Jotaro through Knight of Cups, who carried an irritated expression. As the user's eyes flitted to the tiny girl holding onto Jotaro's arm, she asked, "But _why_ did we let Anne come along _again_?"

Darting his eyes over to meet Suki's, Jotaro shot back through Star Platinum, "You think I didn't try to say 'no'? She wouldn't have it."

Knight of Cups held her head in her hands, "Aagh, this friggin' kid…!"

"Hey, calm down," Star Platinum crossed his arms and looked forward, "Look, it's only for the rest of today, and then we get on the train for India. We won't have to deal with her anymore after that."

"I sure hope you're right," Knight sighed, letting her arms droop down.

As the group of four walked through the city, seeing the sights and listening to the sounds, they came to an open garden area. Several planters were populated by healthy palm trees, as well as other arboreal species. In the middle of the area sat a humble ice cream stand, named Chendol Ice Cream. Suki lightly gasped and rushed toward the shop.

"Excuse me!" She called out, getting the vendor's attention.

"Hi, welcome!" The vendor smiled. Refraining from asking about his watermelon-patterned vest, the girl clasped her hands together and asked the question on her mind.

"Uhm, you sell chilled coconut juice here, right?"

"Ah, only the best! Would you like some?"

Suki nods enthusiastically, as her other three group mates came up behind her. Noting their confused expressions, the girl explained.

"Minaj always told me to try the coconut juice if I ever came to Singapore. Not only is it really sweet and tasty, it's good for you, too! I've been dying to try it since I got here!"

Finishing preparing her drink, the vendor held out the drink to Suki, holding his other hand out to accept payment.

"That'll be four dollars."

The girl recoiled a bit at the pricing, before sighing and pulling out her wallet.

"A bit on the pricey side, but I think I can treat myself. I _have_ gone more than a day without anything sweet, so this'll be just the pick-me-up I need."

As the girl took the juice, Jotaro looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"More than one day? Sounds like someone's addicted."

Turning to him, she gestured with her coconut, "It's not an _addiction_. It's a _lifestyle_. I'll have you know that people say 'sweets are the spice of life.'"

"That's not what they say."

Pouting, Suki, took a sip of the juice, and only a nanosecond passed before her lips turned up in a dazed grin. She held her cheek in one hand as she sighed, her dopey smile only widening from ear-to-ear from the sweet, nutty flavor that coasted along her tastebuds.

"So good…!"

As Suki was wrapped in the pure bliss of the sweet drink in her hands, Anne had walked up to the counter beside her.

"Can I get some ice cream?" Anne asked, looking up at the man behind the counter.

"Welcome. Little girl, ice cream is good, but this is tasty, too." Holding out an open coconut filled with juice, ice and two straws, identical to the drink Suki held, he asked, "How about it?"

"I guess we can try it," Jotaro spoke up from behind the two girls. He held up three fingers, "Give us three."

"Thanks. That'll be twelve dollars."

Hearing the price, Anne turned back to the vendor and complained, "Hey, make that eight dollars," In response, the vendor gave a patronizing smile. Suki sighed.

"See, Anne, that's not how you haggle," Raising a finger, Suki continued, "If you want someone to lower the price, you have to go about it a certain way. You can't just say 'make it this price' right off the bat and expect him to agree with you."

Anne pouted, "Okay, well, how about you try haggling then?"

"Eh, desperate times, desperate measures, not really caring…" The girl responded, swirling her drink in her hand like a wine glass, "All reasons for my lack of haggling," As she looked over to the two men, she spotted Kakyoin removing his wallet from his pocket. Placing a hand out to stop him, she gazed up at him with a small smile, "It's alright, I'll cover it."

"You sure? You already said it's kinda pricey," Jotaro spoke up.

"What can I say? I'm feeling generous today," Turning to the vendor, she handed him the money he had asked for, "Twelve dollars on the nose!"

"Okay. Thanks!"

Kakyoin chuckled, looking at Jotaro, "See, Jotaro, you don't understand. If a girl asks to pay for something for you, you don't question it! Just smile and nod," He shifted his attention to the girl who still held her wallet out and smiled at her. Suki nervously laughed in response.

 _That…doesn't sound like something he would say…_ the girl thought, _Maybe he's having a weird day, or something._

As Suki moved to replace her wallet back in her satchel, a man with a surly face, black hair with a single blond tuft, and a red shirt patterned with green sticks rushed by and snagged her wallet out of her hand.

"Wha- Hey!" The girl yelled at the retreating person.

"I'll take that!" The thief jeered, sprinting away from the group.

"Get back here, thief!" Suki shouted, running after the man. Suddenly, white and green tentacles slunk past her legs at lightning speed and grasped the man's ankle, causing him to fall forward and drop the girl's wallet. Careful to maneuver around the fallen man, Suki picked up her wallet and placed it back in her bag, looking up at Kakyoin, who had already called back Hierophant Green and was walking up behind the thief. The thief looked up at Kakyoin with a frightened expression. Suki smiled at the red-haired man.

"Nice moves, Kakyoin! Thank you!"

What she did not expect as a reaction to her gratitude was Kakyoin's face contorting into a nightmarish rendition of a Picasso painting, as he spat at the man below him.

"You thought you could get away with stealing an innocent girl's wallet, you little shit?"

Suki was vaguely aware of Jotaro and Anne turning in their direction at the sound of Kakyoin raising his voice, but all she could focus on was the brutal scene playing out in front of her. The student grabbed the thief by the hair and kneed him in the face, breaking his nose with a sickening crack.

"Cough up your guts!"

"Kakyoin!" Jotaro called out sternly.

"K-Kakyoin…?" Suki's eyes shook as Kakyoin pulled the thief up by the hair.

"You're worth about as much as a sewer cockroach's dick," As the man continued his lecture, he tossed the delinquent up over his back. He grabbed his captive's neck and leg and repeatedly bent his body back, further than anatomy would allow without serious injury, "The idea that you thought you could steal my friend's wallet with the same fingers that wipe your filthy ass…I can't let you get away with that, can I?" With every pull down, more blood spurted out of the thief's mouth, as Suki's eyes widened in horror, "Come on!" Yank one, "Come on!" Yank two, "Come on!" Yank three.

"S-Stop…You're scaring me," Suki whimpered, shrinking back.

"Hey! What are you doing, Kakyoin? He's going to die," Jotaro reprimanded from afar, setting his drink down. Anne merely stood by and watched in... Suki discerned her expression to be amazement, which would not be the most fitting emotion for this situation.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!"

Snapping out of her surprised daze upon catching movement in the corner of her vision, Suki shook her head and lunged forward.

"I said _stop it_!" Suki cried out, nailing Kakyoin's chin with a vicious right hook. Seeing he was stunned from the blow, Jotaro stepped in and shoved Kakyoin away, forcefully separating him from his hapless victim.

"Kakyoin!" the thug yelled fiercely, "Didn't you hear me tell you to stop?!" Crouching to examine the thief, he adopted his usual stoic tone as he readdressed his comrade, "Kakyoin, you bastard. Something's wrong with you."

Suki joined Jotaro next to the fallen man's body and placed two fingers on his neck, checking his pulse. Breathing a sigh of relief, she nodded at her comrade, reassuring him that, although the man was gravely injured, he would live. Looking up at Kakyoin, Jotaro asked, "Did you get worked up?"

A tense silence followed, as the two students locked eyes. Suki looked from one man's cold stare to the uncharacteristic cold stare of the other.

 _I don't think I've_ ever _seen Kakyoin have such an unsympathetic look in his eye. I'd never expect such a gentle looking man to deliver such brutal attacks…_

Finally, Kakyoin broke the silence, dusting himself off and rubbing his chin, as he remarked "That hurt…You two didn't have to attack me like that. That guy tried to steal Suki's wallet, which makes him a very bad person." Walking over and taking the coconut that Anne held out, he explained, "Of course I should punish him." Allowing the straws to fall past his lips, he spoke coldly around them, "Am I wrong, Jotaro?"

Jotaro refused to respond, only glaring back into Kakyoin's cold eyes. Sighing, the redhead shifted his attention.

"What about you, Suki? That was _your_ wallet he tried to steal, after all."

Taking a breath, the girl stood up and addressed the man, who was currently unnerving her, directly.

"I understand wanting to take matters into your own hands, but that was too far," Gesturing towards the victim, "If this man had a Stand and had tried to attack us, that would've been one thing, but, from what I've seen, this person is just a petty thief who doesn't know any better. We can let the police handle this one."

Kakyoin clicked his tongue at the girl, returning his gaze to Jotaro.

"What are you glaring at? The look in your eyes is awfully hard, Jotaro. You couldn't be planning to part ways with me just because I hurt that thief a little, could you?" His words seemed to ask for forgiveness, but his eyes and voice showed no sign of sympathy.

Taking the chance to retreat with both hands, the thief crawled away as best he could, as four kids dashed past the group to a nearby tree. A posse of rhinoceros beetles had apparently garnered the attention of the children. Kakyoin looked back at the clamor curiously, before turning back to the others and chuckling.

"Jojo, don't think so hard about this. I'm just a bit annoyed today." The man ruffled his hair as he sighed, "The trip's exhausted me and left me in a bad mood."

"You're in a bad mood?" Jotaro asked, standing up, "Seemed to me you felt pretty good," Another heavy pause ensued before the thug turned his back to his comrade, "The old man and Abdul think it's a good idea to head to India by train." As he walked away, he announced, "We're leaving tomorrow. We're taking a cable car to Singapore Station to reserve tickets," Suki dashed forward to catch up with him, leaving Kakyoin and Anne behind.

"So, uh…"

"He doesn't normally act like that, if that's what you're wondering," The man next to her murmured.

"Okay, Sherlock, riddle me this then," Suki leaned over to him, "What do you think the cause is?"

Jotaro reached into his pocket before he continued speaking, "I think he might be possessed by an enemy Stand," Reaching his hand out in front of the girl, he allowed the chain to fall out of his hand, holding onto the end and allowing the amulet to dangle in front of his ally, "This is yours, by the way."

"Ah, thanks!" Suki grasped the necklace with both hands, placing it back around her neck, where it belonged, "How-"

Suddenly, Anne rushed up and grabbed Jotaro's arm from behind, as she desperately tried to steady her breathing.

"Is something wrong?" The delinquent asked, looking at the girl.

Folding her arms and shaking her head, Suki remarked, "She was probably just spooked by the rhinoceros beetles. Those things can be vicious."

"Y-Yeah. The beetles…" Anne muttered, looking back at Kakyoin, who simply stood behind them, seemingly in a daze. Suki and Jotaro joined the child's gaze.

"So, I guess my music box helped? You don't look so tired anymore," Suki asked innocently, trying to divert the child's attention from whatever was scaring her.

"…Yeah."

Nodding, Suki returned her gaze forward, discomforted by the silence that followed, as Kakyoin followed the three to Singapore Station.

 _It's gonna be a long day_ …

* * *

Upon reaching the station, Suki noticed a convenience store on the bottom level. Asking to catch up with the rest of the group, she dashed into the shop. Searching quickly and thoroughly for what she wanted, she found exactly what she had been looking for in just a few minutes. After completing the transaction, the girl walked up the stairs with an innocent grin.

"Man, I thought I'd have to go another _week_ without these! Thank God I found them in there!" Suki thought aloud, examining the small cardboard box that fit snugly in the palm of her hand. The other three boxes she had bought, she had already shoved into her purse, choosing only to look at one of them with any sort of fine-toothed comb. Her glee was interrupted when she heard Anne screaming from the floor just above her. Nearly dropping the box, she placed it in her bag before she nearly dropped it again and sprinted up the last flight of stairs to the source of the noise.

What greeted her was a scene most bizarre. Jotaro and Kakyoin stood in a cable car that was slowly pulling out of the station; however, the man previously called Kakyoin no longer shared the same facial features as the Kakyoin from earlier that day, as his face had been severely distorted. Anne stood by, cowering in fear, unsure of what to do. Deciding to ensure that the kid didn't do anything stupid, Suki rushed to Anne's side first and crouched to her level, taking her by the shoulders.

"Okay, Anne?" the older girl began slowly and calmly, "I don't know exactly what's going on, but I'll tell you that everything is going to be _just fine_. Just call Mr. Joestar and Abdul on that telephone over there and let them know about the situation. After that, just stay here until they meet up with you," Pointing to herself, she assured, "Jotaro and I will be fine, we just have some…" Suki's eyes meandered about before refocusing on the girl, an excuse presenting itself, "business to take care of. Business that is a bit too dangerous for you. That being said…" Suki stood up fully and looked at the cable car with a determined expression. Beginning a jog alongside the car, she waved at Anne, yelling, "I've gotta run!"

The girl kept pace running next to the vehicle, as Jotaro and the now-totally-not-Kakyoin man, wearing no shirt and owning flowing black hair, conversed inside. Opening her canteen, Suki quickly formed a whip of water, lashing at the upper supports on the car, the whip winding around the support like a grappling hook. Picking up speed, she ran forward as fast as she could, waiting for the inevitable dip of the car as it left the ground to be carried forward and upward.

 _Indiana Jones, don't fail me now!_

Leaping forward just as the car dipped, she swung herself around the vehicle and landed on the roof, a resounding thud ringing out as her feet made contact. Holding her head, the girl breathed out.

 _I can't believe that worked!_

Keeping herself attached to the support with her whip, she rappelled down the side of the car, attempting to listen in on the conversation between Jotaro and their adversary. Unfortunately, the windows were made of too thick a glass for her to make anything out.

The enemy's back was turned to her, as a yellow goopy substance flowed about his abdomen like a feather boa. Meanwhile, Jotaro's eyes kept darting to his right hand, which had that same odd goo stuck to its side. Looking up, he finally seemed to notice the girl outside the window. She gave a small wave and a smirk, so as not to catch the attention of the man facing him. Jotaro rolled his eyes at her childish action, before making eye contact and darting his eyes to another point, further to his left, then re-locking eyes with his ally. Following his previous gaze, Suki noticed an upcoming support for the whole structure, just close enough that he could make the jump, with a little bit of help. Turning back to him, she nodded, before working her way back up to the roof of the car. Keeping the whip out, Suki untied it from the upper support on the car and, just as it came up, she leapt to the big structure support. Given no time to waste, the girl set to work, tensing the watery rope in her hands.

 _Okay,_ I _made that jump easily, since I've got good legs, but I can't say the same for everyone else_.

Satisfied that she had tied the whip around the pole and her own body as tight as she could, she turned upon hearing the sound of glass shattering. Jotaro had just jumped out of the window of the car.

 _Alright, now or never!_

Holding onto the whip with her left hand, she jumped and grabbed Jotaro's outstretched left hand with her right, landing on the side of the support. Acting swiftly, she began walking up the side without asking questions, pulling up the man beside her to grab onto the ledge, as she completed her own journey to the top.

"G-Good grief," The girl turned and saw that the man had yet to pull himself up the rest of the way, examining the yellow substance. Rushing over to him, she reached out to grab his right hand.

"Here, let me help."

"Wait, don't-"

Pulling him up the rest of the way so he could stand next to her, she reassured, "Relax, I was sure to not touch the yellow stuff," Looking up at him, "You can let go now," Not responding, he looked down at their still-connected hands, "Did you not hear me? I said you can-" Her gaze followed his, and landed on the substance undulating over their hands, having spread to her own hand without her knowledge, "Aw, come on! I didn't even touch it!"

"It's a Stand that combines with flesh, according to Yellow Asshole over there. It makes sense that it would leap at the chance for more," Jotaro explained.

"Yeah, but I didn't think I only had to get _close_ to it for it to combine!" The girl desperately tried to pull away, but to no avail, "I can't see my brother when I'm glued to another guy! That would destroy him!"

"We're stuck to a yellow snot that's trying to eat us, and how your _brother_ feels is your first concern?"

"Well, ex- _cuse_ me, for having different priorities!"

Sighing, the man muttered, "I don't know whether to call that innocent or stupid," Shaking his head, he assured, "We'll ditch this before the day is done. You don't have to worry about your brother seeing this."

Suki sighed.

"Fine," Looking down upon feeling a sharp sting in her hand, she asked, "So, it's devouring our hands right now. Have I got that right?"

"Yeah," Looking back at the departing cable car, he muttered, "Before we fight him, we need to do something about this Stand. If worse comes to worst, we might have to chop our hands off." After a moment, Suki inhaled sharply, "Don't."

"Okay," Suki whimpered, exhaling slowly.

"Do you really think you got away?" Yellow Asshole asked loudly from his perch in the retreating cable car, his arms folded smugly, "Well, I guess I'd better tell you. Get a straw, suck out all the gunk in your ears, and listen up."

"That's disgusting," The two deadpanned simultaneously.

Pointing to himself, the enemy Stand user explained, "My Stand, Yellow Temperance, has no weaknesses. It's not that you ran away. It's just that I don't have to chase you, you little shits!" As the car drifted further and further away, all the two could hear was the satisfied cackling of the shirtless man.

"Hey, come back and say that to my face, Yellow Asshole!" Suki stomped forward, raising her free hand in a fist and shaking it. An unmistakable _snick_ caused the girl to turn her attention back to her partner. Jotaro had pulled out a lighter and ignited it, bringing it close to their joined hands. As he locked eyes with the girl in front of him, Suki took in a shaky breath, her eyes widening.

"It'll burn us, too, but I guess I'll burn it to death."

The girl gritted her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut and turning her head away from the fire. Feeling her skin begin to sear, Suki brought up her free hand and bit her thumb, hard enough to draw blood. The delinquent grunted, not immune to the pain of the fire himself. Looking back upon feeling a pain different from the fire, Suki opened her eyes and saw that the glob had spread even more, covering both of their hands and crawling slightly up their wrists.

"This…It just made it spread! Heating it is a bad idea…" Jotaro spoke, examining the sentient substance.

"No shit, Sherlock!" Suki threw down her free hand in frustration. Jotaro took a breath, as though to respond, but the girl beat him to the punch, "If you tell me 'Shut up, Watson,' I'm jumping off this building."

Shaking his head, the man looked about, trying to find a different solution, "Damn it."

"Well, you got your shot. Let me try _my_ hand at this puzzle," Suki suggested, joining his wandering eyes. After a moment, she spotted a child sitting at the window of an oncoming cable car, eating a popsicle. Looking back to her ally, she pointed at the car, "Okay, if heat won't work, maybe cold will! Let's try and make it over there," Joining her gaze, Jotaro sighed, the only indication of any reaction to her plan, "I know."

"Huh?"

"I'd rather not deprive a kid of his sweets, either, but I don't see any other options at the moment," Suki explained with a determined expression. The two nodded at each other before rushing forward as the car drifted by. Suki brought out another water whip and lassoed the top support, allowing the two of them to land on the side of the car. With no fanfare, Star Platinum ripped open the door, letting it fall to the ground below.

Inside sat a woman wearing a tight red top, matching heels and stockings, and plenty of jewelry, a casually-dressed man sleeping near the back, a small white dog on a leash, and the little boy she had seen earlier with a t-shirt and shorts.

"Pardon," The thug excused, stepping into the car.

The girl snorted as she followed his lead, "Really? That's all you can say after ripping their door open? You didn't even knock!" Jotaro rolled his eyes.

"Oh, my," The fancily dressed lady spoke casually, raising a hand to her face in a gesture of shock, "Talk about a strange entrance."

"Don't mind us."

Suki raised a hand in a defeated gesture, "Yeah, don't mind us, we're just two rude kids who don't know how to knock."

"Would you f-" Jotaro darted his eyes over to the child, looking over with rapt attention, before looking back to Suki, lowering his voice, "Do you wanna be polite and die, or rude and live?"

"Knights are polite, regardless of if they're going to die!" The girl exclaimed, raising a finger to punctuate her point.

Holding his head in his free hand, the man sighed, "Good grief. I don't know what you're on about, but we have more important things to worry about," Crouching down to the kid's level, "Hey, kid. Lemme see your ice pop for a sec." Taking the treat out of the child's hand, the little boy looked like he was about to cry.

"Hey! What are you doing to that boy's ice pop?" The gaudy woman called out from her seat.

"Is this your kid?" Jotaro responded with a question, looking back at his accuser.

"No," She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, as though that were the most obvious fact in the world.

"Then shut up and enjoy the scenery," Turning to the teary-eyed kid, the delinquent apologized, "Sorry. When we get to the ground, I'll buy you a new one."

"I'll get you one, too!" Suki rapped on her chest with a fist in a display of determination.

With a tearful nod, the kid nodded and agreed, "'Kay!"

"Trying to outdo me?" Jotaro muttered, turning to his ally.

"Pff, no," the girl shrugged, "If you take someone else's sweet, you have to pay them back with two. I don't what you've been taught in regards to candy transactions, but that's my rule."

Raising an eyebrow but choosing not to respond further, Jotaro stood up with the girl and handed her the popsicle.

"Okay, if we can't heat it…" She touched the ice to the substance. In recoil, the goo dug deeper into their hands, needles forming over the surface. The two gasped at the reaction.

"That bastard!" The thug spoke angrily.

"What even _is_ this?!" Suki cried out in desperation.

"Hey, you! Fire and ice won't work at all." The two youths looked at the woman with accusatory expressions, as she blew her nose. As she removed the tissue, a drip of yellow snot fell out of one nostril, as she groped one of her breasts, "I told you. It doesn't have a weakness." The lady cackled, as the white dog whimpered, half-phasing through her legs, clearly trapped.

"No, doggie!" Suki whined in a worried tone. Turning her glare up at the woman, she asked pointedly, "Just how evil can you get, terrorizing a defenseless animal?!"

"I can do whatever the hell I want, you little shits!" The woman laughed with a satisfied grin.

"You're…"

Suki pointed at the woman with a blaming finger, as she finished her ally's thought.

"You're Yellow Asshole!"

"Yellow Temperance," Jotaro and the enemy Stand user responded. Realizing they had responded in sync, they returned to staring each other down.

Raising her hand in a defeated gesture, Suki muttered, "Jeez, way to shut a girl down…"

Meanwhile, the kid tried desperately to shake the sleeping man next to him awake, crying out, "Papa! The puppy! The puppy!"

"You bastard! You were already in this cable car?" Jotaro called Yellow Temperance out, his eyes narrowing.

Finally waking up, the once-sleeping man screamed, "M-My Pocky!" Yanking on the leash, he tried to free the innocent animal.

Holding his hand out to try and stop the man, Jotaro warned, "It's dangerous! Don't pull! Let go!"

Blood flowed out of the dog's mouth with every consecutive yank, before his head finally came off with the next pull of the leash. The man shouted in horror.

"Oh, God!" Suki sobbed, bringing her free hand up to her mouth as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

"I'm here to finish you off…" The lady grinned devilishly, before her face stretched and burst apart, revealing Yellow in a goopy saffron cocoon, "Jotaro, my buddy!"

Without hesitation, Jotaro summoned Star Platinum and yanked a support off the inside of the cable car, swinging it at Yellow, as Suki called Knight of Cups, who slashed at him with a water cutlass from her canteen.

"You're fast! But…" Pushing his Stand in front of him, the yellow globs formed a wall in front of the enemy Stand user, stopping Star's and Knight's weapons, "Like I keep telling you, I don't have any weaknesses!" Lowering his voice, "Are you even listening to me?" Only to yell his next line, "You dumbass rednecks!"

"Rednecks?" Suki asked, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow.

"He's being racist," Jotaro explained. The girl gasped.

"Not only do you kill poor animals, but you're _racist_ , too?!" Suki shouted back at the enemy.

Ignoring the girl, Yellow chose to boast, "My Stand is essentially an armor that consumes power. A barrier that attacks!" As the goop twisted and undulated about Star's and Knight's weapons, he continued, "No matter how fast you may be, no matter how strong you may be, it's absolutely useless before Yellow Temperance! You can't defeat me!" Casting his eyes to their glued hands, he bragged, "You can't even run, unless you cut off your hands!" Reaching with Yellow Temperance across the car, he screamed, "Do you understand?!" At this question, the substance launched across the car and landed in several places on Suki's and Jotaro's bodies. The two lifted their hands away from their bodies in a mixture of disgust and disturbance, "You have no way of winning! You can't get away! Not until you're digested! I'll eat you up!"

After a pause, Jotaro piped up.

"Good grief," Yellow's expression shifted from confidence to confusion, "This thing really doesn't have a weakness. It could be the most powerful thing ever. How terrifying. But the Kujo family…No. The Joestar family has its own philosophy when it comes to fighting," He glanced at Suki, who waited with rapt attention, her eyes widening, "I still have just one strategy left."

"What?" Yellow Temperance asked, seemingly amused.

"Alright, let's see it, then!" Suki pumped her fist enthusiastically, staring Yellow down with a determined look in her eyes.

Pulling his hand apart from Suki's as far as it would go, raising it in front of him, as though he were planning to attack, Jotaro spoke, "That's…" Without warning, Star Platinum punched through the floor, creating a large hole, "…to run away!" Suki was given less than a second to process what was happening, as she was yanked through the hole alongside her partner and the enemy Stand user.

"Why meeeeee?!"

"What the hell?!" Yellow asked in an entertained manner, "You're in the middle of being eaten, you ass! My Stand's got a hold of you that you can't escape, and you say you'll run?"

Star Platinum grabbed the cascading substance connecting the three, as Jotaro explained, "I may be running…"

Suki closed her eyes as they hit the surface of the water, opening them under the waves. She looked about, trying to find the two men and their Stands, thinking they couldn't have just disappeared. Suddenly, Star Platinum and Jotaro rose up right beside the girl, the Stand having a firm choke hold on the user of Yellow Temperance.

"But I'm running into the water."

Suki raised her eyebrows, as all she could think was, _Clever man…_  
"I-I can't breathe…" Yellow gurgled, as he tried desperately to escape. Finally pulling his Stand back, leaving a few remnants of the goo behind, he burst up from the water.

Jotaro resurfaced directly behind him, Suki coming up right beside him, "You opened your Stand's guard so you could breathe. No matter how invincible that Stand may be, if I defeat the user, the Stand will die, too." As Star locked Yellow in a full nelson, Jotaro glared at Yellow disdainfully from behind, and parroted the words Yellow had asked back in the car, "Do you understand?" Yellow turned his head with a slightly scared expression, as the thug continued, "You sure said all the crap you wanted to back there." Raising a fist in a threatening manner, he growled, "I'm the type that takes such things to heart." Reeling his arm back, Jotaro unleashed a forceful right hook.

"Save one for me!" On the last word, Suki lunged in with a left elbow to the enemy's face, bone making contact with cartilage with a loud cracking sound, pushing him back into the water with the impact. Rolling her shoulder, the girl exclaimed, "Man, that felt good!"

Yellow came back up gasping, holding a hand out, as he whimpered, "S-Stop…I can't recover anymore!" As Yellow continued to explain himself, Suki saw Jotaro's eyes fall into the shadow of his cap, concealing his expression, "My nose is broken. They're going to have to wire my jaw, too," His hand trembling in front of his face, he whined, "Dio bought my services. I don't plan to risk my life going after you people," With that statement, he pulled his Stand's remnants back from Jotaro's and Suki's hats "There! See?" The girl readjusted her cap absentmindedly, as Jotaro voiced a suggestion.

"How about you talk?" Yellow's eyes widened, "Tell me about the Stand users that are planning to attack us."

Suki held her arm out in front of her ally, as she explained, "Jotaro, he can't tell you that," The thug looked at the girl confusedly, wondering why she was defending the enemy's case.

"Yeah, th-that's the one thing I can't say. I have some pride," Yellow muttered, casting his eyes off in a different direction.

This information caught Suki off-guard, as she turned her head towards the enemy, raising her eyebrows, "Wait, you mean you _do_ know?"

"Why wouldn't I know?"

Raising a hand to her chin and closing her eyes in thought, the youth mused, "The abilities and identities of the other Stand users are supposed to be closely guarded secrets, even between Dio's closest allies," Continuing her thought process, she twirled a stray strand of hair in her fingers, "Why would he tell some no-name hitman but not one of his nearest advisors…?"

"Maybe because he can't trust a woman with his secrets," Yellow suggested.

After a pause, Suki sighed, "You know, you were making a pretty good case for yourself so we would spare you," The girl moved forward slightly, "Now, you're pushing your luck."

The enemy Stand user raised his hands in surrender, "R-Regardless, I can't tell you that information. I can't rat out my own side…"

Jotaro raised a fist out of the water, as he prepared to show no mercy, "I see. Well, that's honorable."

Shaking his head and hands, Yellow warbled quickly, "I remember now! Death, The Empress, The Hanged Man, and the Emperor are the four that will come after you!"

"I see." Yellow sidled off to Jotaro's right as he continued his interrogation, "And what are their powers?"

"I-I don't know."

Jotaro turned to Yellow and prepared a punch. Again, Yellow raised both hands in surrender.

"N-No, really! I really don't know! Stand users don't show others their powers, because it'd expose their weaknesses."

Curious as to why the enemy was the only one moving, the girl meandered nonchalantly to the side Yellow was sidling over to, making it look like she was about to exit the water, choosing instead to lean her back against the pool, her arms holding her up from behind. She gave Yellow a cautionary glare, silently warning him not to try anything, as she spoke, "See, _that_ makes more sense. Okay, I get it, so he just told you who they were, not what they could do."

Casting his nervous gaze to the girl for a split second, Yellow continued, "Y-Yeah, that's right! B-But there is some witch who told Dio about Stands…And her son is among the four. His name is J. Geil. He's a man with two right hands. His card is The Hanged Man."

"Two…right…!" Suki looked at Jotaro, meeting his gaze and seeing the same conclusion in his blue irises, "Oh, no…"

"He's the one that killed Polnareff's sister, isn't he? I've heard a rumor about his powers…" Reaching the land Suki guarded, Yellow brought an arm onto the land and hoisted himself up a smidgen, resting behind the girl, as she continued watching him out of the corner of her eye. He reached into the nearby open manhole with one hand, searching for something in the darkness, "A mirror. Apparently, he uses a mirror. I haven't actually seen it, but Polnareff has no chance of winning. He's gonna die."

 _Polnareff…He's gonna die...?_ Suki shook her head, dispelling the negative thoughts, _No, he's strong. He took care of The Devil all by himself, he can survive this…right?_

Gurgling sounds from the nearby drain snapped Suki out of her train of thought, as Yellow smiled and pulled himself up, "I just realized, Jotaro, Suki…" The enemy snickered to himself, "But it looks like the goddess of fortune is still on my side. See that drain? There are a lot of crayfish around it. Take a good look." Suki and Jotaro turned to the drain. Suddenly, the bolts holding it in shot out, and yellow ooze began to squeeze out of the newly created holes. Gasping, Suki looked back at the villain, as Jotaro followed her gaze. His hand still rested in the manhole, but, on closer inspection, his Stand was flowing smoothly from his arm into the sewer depths. Suddenly, the Stand shot out of the drain, encasing Jotaro's upper body in the gunk.

"That little drain," Yellow laughed as he stood up over the manhole, "is connected to the manhole that's near me! I'm gonna pull you in and hold you there!" The Stand yanked Jotaro in harshly, slamming him against the wall.

"Jotaro!" Suki called out. Fortunately for her, she had been far enough away from the drain that she had not been affected.

"Now you can't attack me! Looks like what I told you about the man with two right hands will go to waste. Jotaro Kujo! To think there was a hole so close that I could pull you into…Man, am I ever lucky!" Crayfish disappeared into goop, as Suki turned and pulled herself up and out of the pool, "I even ate some crayfish and powered up! I'll crush you up and turn you into jam!" Flipping him off, the enemy continued, "If I kill you, Dio will give me a hundred million dollars." With a laugh, Yellow boasted, "To think I can make that much from a few minutes of fighting. Don't you think I'm pretty lucky? You ball-less little dick!"

Suki murmured as she weakly stood up, her body weighed down by her soaked condition, "So…you're not going to give us _any_ new info?"

Looking at the girl standing next to him helplessly, the villain chuckled, "Why would I? You're both about to die!" After a moment, Suki's shoulders began to shake as she bowed her head, "Aww, did I make the wittle girl cry?" Yellow guffawed, as Jotaro pursed his lips in slight concern, "What a useless bitch! All you're good for is crying when the going gets tough! What a-" Suddenly, Suki allowed her voice to be heard, not in sobs, but in chuckles, gradually growing louder until she tipped her head back and laughed at the sky, holding her stomach "Wh-What…?"

"Oh, ha ha, it's just so funny to me…" The girl admitted, as she wiped the tears out of her eyes.

"You're…You're _laughing_? Your friend over there-"

"Hi."

"Is gonna be eaten, and you're _laughing_?"

Finally regaining her composure, the girl spoke slowly, "Oh, no, it's not that at all. It's just…" Reaching over her shoulder, the girl flipped her hair back, sending a glittering shower of water particles behind her, as she placed that hand on her hip. Leaning to her opposite side, letting her other arm dangle, she revealed, "You're not the only one Lady Luck has been smiling on."

"What the hell…?" Yellow asked confusedly. Jotaro's eyebrows raised in slight fascination.

Tilting her head and smirking, Suki reminded, "You remember how you said Stand users don't show off their Stands to each other?" He nodded. In response, she chuckled darkly, "Well, while you've been busy digging yourself a deeper grave…" Turning to the side and folding her arms, she brought one leg forward, supporting herself as she pointed the other toe towards Yellow. Keeping her head bowed and eyes closed, she brought a pointed finger up to her chin before settling it back down, pointing at the enemy user in front of her, as she turned her head and opened her eyes, smiling full-on, "You've been completely unaware that we've been surrounded by my specialty weapon!"

Startled, the enemy began to look about frantically.

"There's…There's no weapons here! What are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about…?" She narrowed her eyes as her smile only widened, "I'm honestly a bit surprised. I used it earlier, did you forget?" The enemy Stand user's eyes widened, "Well, maybe if you're good, I'll give you a little taste…Do you understand?"

Summoning Knight of Cups, the wraith brought her hands up over her head and circled them about in a graceful motion as Suki followed, gathering water from the nearby pool into a claymore a little smaller than herself. The girl grasped the handle as she flashed a mischievous grin. The man in front of her cowered, stepping back as if to begin retreating, "Aww, come on. It'd be rude to run now…" As she shouldered the claymore, Knight dove into the water and burst back out next to the enemy Stand user, rushing to his ankles and grasping them with an iron grip. Suki prepared for a mighty swing, swinging the sword over her head before lunging forward, "After all, the fun's just getting _started_!"

Starting off with two slow, wide swings, it did not take long for Suki to begin slashing in all eight directions as though the weapon she held was as light as a feather. Getting excited, she dashed past her captive, nicking his side, before she stopped and lunged in the opposite direction, keeping her momentum going as she rushed forward and back, never losing speed. The all-out rush continued until the girl finally finished with a flashy spinning sword slash, leaping forward and bringing the claymore from the air to the enemy with a heavy swing and a mighty battle cry. Stepping back, Suki took a better look at the villain. Despite his lack of physical wounds, Yellow seemed completely exhausted, looking ready to fall over.

"All of that stimulation must've left your mind utterly frazzled. Too many wounds, not enough time to falsify them all…" Resting the sword on one shoulder with one arm, she put her hand to her chin and clicked her tongue twice, "My, my, I must've _really_ underestimated myself. I only meant to give you a taste, yet here I am supplying a full course meal," Leaning forward with her other hand on her hip, she asked patronizingly, "Are you satisfied?" Yellow nodded tiredly. The girl shook her head, "Well, that can't be right. I have a seafood dish with your name on it. By which, I mean…" Allowing the water to flow up her wrists, to her abdomen, streaming to her feet, the liquid formed into boots covered from rim to heel and toe in spikes, as she wound up a left roundhouse, "You're gonna sleep with the fishes!"

Springing into his side, she unleashed the vicious kick, launching him into the water. Somewhere in the chaos, Jotaro had been freed from his restraints, and now came up behind the resurfacing man, grabbing him by the hair and pulling him out of the water. Yellow laughed nervously.

"I-I was just kidding, Mr. Jotaro! I was just messing with you both! I didn't mean anything by what I said. Come on, now. Did you take it personally? Y-You're not thinking of hitting me any more, are you? I'm a seriously injured man…My nose is broken and my jaw's gonna have to be wired shut," The enemy chuckled nervously once more as he met Jotaro's unsympathetic gaze. With a sigh, the delinquent spoke.

"I have nothing more to say to you. You're too pathetic to talk to any more."

Gasping, Yellow craned his neck to try and get the attention of the girl on the shore.

"M-Miss Suki, come on, please! Dio said you'd never killed a man! You're not going to get _my_ filthy blood on your hands, are you?"

Jotaro turned back to the girl, as her eyes widened and her eyebrows raised. With a contemplative expression, she beckoned to Jotaro with one hand. He raised his eyebrows, looked at the man disdainfully, and clicked his tongue, bringing Yellow over to the edge. The girl reached her arm out to grab Yellow's hand and help him out of the water.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!"

In that split second, Suki made eye contact with Jotaro. Something in her eyes betrayed her true intentions to him, causing him to smirk. Taking the enemy's hand, she admitted, "You're right, I _don't_ want to dirty my hands with your blood," Pulling him up so one of his legs stood on the wall, the other dangling behind him, she continued, "However, I can't make the same decision for _him,_ " The girl confessed, as she jerked her head to the thug behind the enemy Stand user.

"Wha…Wha…Wha…?" The enemy babbled, star struck.

His would-be savior leaned in with a menacing grin.

"Now we're even."

With a flourish, she shoved him into the water with her right foot, letting go of his hand. The enemy yelled, hitting the water, as Jotaro gave him no time to breathe, holding Yellow by the hair and letting Star Platinum lay into him with a flurry of brutal punches. With one last uppercut, Jotaro let go of the man, and Yellow soared over the water, landing further away in the pool, sinking under the waves.

"Need a hand, Jotaro?" The girl asked, as she reached out to him from the land. He swam over and accepted her hand, using it as support out of the water. After helping him out, the girl bowed her head, her shoulders shaking.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Th-that was…"

The girl leapt into the air and pumped her fist.

"Fucking awesome!"

With a sigh, the man humored her, "Yeah, I guess so."

"You _guess_ so? I've never been able to do that before!" The two began to walk in the direction of the hotel, as Suki continued in ecstatic manner, "Acting like everyone's gonna die, until you reveal the ace you had up your sleeve the whole time…?" Shaking her fists in front of her excitedly, she exclaimed, "Man, what a rush! No wonder you guys do it all the time!"

"The look on that asshole's face was priceless," Jotaro admitted, the sides of his mouth turning up ever-so-slightly.

"I _know_ , right?! That was so much fun!" Walking in front of Jotaro and turning to him, the girl put her hands behind her back coyly and leaned forward, looking up at him, "I couldn't have done it without you, though. So…thanks for being there," The man stopped, slightly taken aback, as Suki followed his halting motion. He raised an eyebrow at her statement.

"What are you talking about? That last bit was all you."

Suki's mouth gaped open for a split second in surprise. After a moment, she raised a hand to her lips and cast her eyes away, blushing slightly, "Wow…I thought for sure you were gonna shoot back some quip, like usual. I honestly wasn't expecting a compliment from you…"

Shoving his hands in his pockets, the delinquent looked up at the rolling clouds, "I could, but I don't feel like it."

Cocking her head to the side mischievously, the girl suggested, "Oh, _I_ get it. You think I was actually kinda cool back there, don't you?"

Pulling the brim of his hat over his eyes, he responded, "Don't get the wrong idea, kid. I just know when to give someone credit for doing a good job." Letting go of the brim of his hat, he shook his head, "But, I'll admit, if you weren't there, I probably would've had to pull something out of my ass to stay alive," Unbeknownst to him, the smallest tinge of red began to appear on his cheeks, "So…thanks."

"Oh my God. You're _blushing_!" She pointed, standing up straight and flashing a naughty grin.

The man was caught off-guard by this statement. "Would you shut up? I don't blush. I just overexerted myself."

"I can't believe it, I got _two_ milestones in one day! I got to act cool, and I got to make you lose yours with no casualties!"

Leaning down to her level, the man threatened, "You know if you don't shut up about that, I _can_ beat you down."

She met his lean, putting her hands on her hips, "Oh, really? Let's see you try. Right here. Right now."

The location the two had stopped was a water garden, with a large ankle-high lake area with a waterfall, with a big brick plaza in front.

"After all, I'm still coming down from that high back there, and you don't seem to be lacking for energy either."

After a pause, Jotaro gave a small smirk and cracked his knuckles, "Okay, you're on."

"The rules. What should they be?"

Her opponent crossed his arms, bowing his head in thought, "How about… first contact to the opponent's face wins, and…" Looking up from under the brim of his cap, he displayed a slight, dark smirk, "Loser has to do a favor for the winner."

The girl pushed out her right hand to seal the deal.

"It's a deal, then!"

Jotaro grasped her hand and they shook hands firmly. After Suki took a moment to refill her canteen, the two stepped further away from the water garden, onto the bricks. The girl adopted a lithe boxing stance as Jotaro took a more defensive position, as she clarified, "Right here, right now, we're gonna fight as equals. So, no holding back." After exchanging a nod, the two lunged at each other. Both decided to throw out a right hook as they rushed forward, their fists meeting with a satisfying sound, as a cloud of dust was kicked up from their sudden stop. Out of the corner of her eye, Suki saw Star Platinum winding up a punch to her face.

"Don't even try it!" Knight of Cups phased into view by her side, blocking the blow with a well-timed shield creation. The two Stand users stared each other down, neither relenting on the force behind their one fist, until Suki quickly switched her grip, grasping his hand and yanking him forward. She reeled back her right leg and brought it around in an upwards roundhouse, Jotaro blocking just in time with his arm, but recoiling slightly from the kick. Seeing an opportunity, the thug kicked his own leg out and swept Suki's remaining leg out from under her, causing her to fall unceremoniously on her left side. Seeing Jotaro coming in with another punch, hoping to nail her while she was down, she tucked her arms in and rolled back, getting enough distance that she could roll onto her back and leap to her feet, just as the man came in with a left uppercut. She caught his hand with her right, her eyes darting over to ensure Knight was keeping Star occupied, blocking punch after forceful punch with the shields that were slowly but surely dissipating.

 _I need more water…_

Throwing Jotaro's hand out to the side, she lunged forward. Anticipating an attempt to contact his face, he threw his arms up to protect it, only for Suki to rush full force, pressing her abdomen completely against his.

"You…What are you…?"

The girl looked up with a mischievous smile, as she pushed back on her legs and shoved her body forward, moving the much larger person with her momentum. Remembering their location, Jotaro quickly took to the offensive, stopping her from pushing, and propelling his own body forward, driving her in the opposite direction. Turning his body, he rammed into her one more time, shoving her away with a shoulder tackle that threatened to bulldoze the small person. Suki flew back, her back parallel with the ground, as she righted her body and landed on all fours in a catlike stance. Only after noticing that her feet and hands were now soaked did Jotaro realize his grievous mistake.

"I may be an idiot," The girl tapped her noggin, leaning forward and putting her other hand on her hip, "But I've got _some_ gray matter up here! While you were busy worrying about the little girl overpowering you, you had no clue that I was turning you with that one shove!" Forming a small stack of water shuriken, she aimed two well-placed shots at his feet, nailing him to the ground. Rushing in a circle around him, she continued hurling stars at him, explaining, "By the time you realized what I had in mind, you were already in position to support rather than inhibit!"

Seeing that his breathing had grown heavy, she formed the water stars in her hand into a large pole, dashing forward and leaping at Jotaro like a migratory locust.

"You're done!"

As she began to swing the pole down, only then did she realize her own mistake.

She hadn't kept tabs on the Stand.

Smirking, Jotaro summoned Star Platinum right in front of himself, as the Stand caught the girl with one hand, choke-slamming her into the ground. The wind was forced out of Suki's lungs as she tried to break free of his iron grip, but to no avail. Focused too much on trying to wiggle out of the Stand's grip, she only realized too late that Jotaro's grip had replaced his Stand's as he pinned her to the ground, his knees holding down her arms, as he wound up a full-force right hook. Seeing the incoming fist, Suki shut her eyes tightly, preparing for the incoming blow, and…

Nothing happened.

Cracking her eyes open, squinting at the sun shining brightly behind her opponent, she discovered that he had stopped his fist mere millimeters from her jaw. Seeing that she was now paying attention, the thug pushed his closed hand against her face, ending the battle on the terms they had agreed upon.

The two stared into each other's eyes, breathing heavily, as they recomposed themselves. Their faces were completely flushed, covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Finally, Suki broke the silence, her panting shifting into a breathless chuckle.

"I guess I lost, huh?" The man above her sighed, closing his eyes and adjusting his cap. Tilting her head, the girl smiled sheepishly, "Disappointing performance?"

At this question, he opened his eyes and looked at the girl confusedly.

"What? Fuck no. You gave me a run for my money."

The girl's mouth fell slightly agape at this.

"Y-You're not joking?"

Shifting his knees off of her arms, so as not to crush her limbs, the man asked with a raised eyebrow, "Why would I joke about that?"

Casting her eyes away, she muttered, "Well, it's not so much that you would joke…I just…" Shaking her head, the girl looked up into her ally's eyes as she presented the question that had been nibbling at her mind for quite some time.

"Tell me something: am I actually useful to you guys?"

Jotaro was silent. After a moment, he sighed and leaned over the girl, ensuring she heard every word he said, as he placed his hands on either side of her to support himself.

"Listen, we would've ditched you a long time ago if you didn't contribute anything."

"But…You guys let Anne tag along for this long…Longer than I've been around!"

"Yeah, but here's the thing: Anne isn't coming with us to Cairo. You are."

The girl underneath swallowed thickly, her eyes glistening as though she were about to cry.

"Y-You really mean that?"

The man nodded. Suki breathed a sigh of relief, smiling sincerely at the delinquent above her.

"Thank you. Thank you so much!" Taking a look at the small tears she had created in his trenchcoat and pants, her expression pulled a one-eighty, "Oh, jeez, I did a real number on your clothes! I'm sorry!"

"I think we're even. Your clothes didn't hold up too well, either."

"Huh?" Suki took a moment to take in her condition. Not only was every inch of half of her body completely soaked, having laid in the shallow pool, but the back and side of her tank top were violently ripped from the contact with the bricks, and her jeans were scuffed in multiple areas. Her hat had also landed off to the side in the square at some earlier point in the fight. Laughing, the girl expressed, "Oh, jeez, I didn't even notice! I look like I got in a fight with a wild bear or something!" Scratching her cheek, she offered, "Don't worry about your clothes, though. I know at least a little bit about sewing, so I can patch those up on the train tomorrow."

"Is that the favor?"

"Hmmm…No, you should _ask_ me to do something. Something I wouldn't do or offer to do."

Sighing, Jotaro muttered, "You are just-"

Jotaro and Suki's conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice screaming at them.

"Oh no!"

The two looked to the source of the sound to see the other men in their group, accompanied by Anne, staring at the scene before them with wide eyes. Abdul stood up straight, his mouth a firm line as he crossed his arms, his eyes smoldering with anger. Joseph rubbed his eyes, not believing what he was seeing as his mouth gaped open. Kakyoin covered his mouth and attempted to avert his eyes, a blush heating his cheeks. Suki and Jotaro each pursed their lips as the same phrase exited their mouths.

"Good grief."

* * *

"I just can't understand why you two would choose to do _that,_ _there_ , of all places!" Abdul reprimanded, pacing in front of Jotaro and Suki, who sat on a bench on the train platform.

"Here we go, again…" Suki muttered, leaning forward and resting her head in her hand, as she munched on the banana she had picked up for breakfast.

"Abdul, I know you're upset, but don't you think one lecture from both of us is enough?" Joseph attempted to calm his friend down, raising both hands in a soothing gesture.

"Besides, we're not fucking animals. We were just sparring, and I had pinned her down. That's all that happened," Jotaro reexplained the situation.

"Well, you should've waited until Mr. Joestar or myself could've kept an eye on you," Sighing, the man crossed his arms and stopped pacing, turning to the two youths in front of him, "Look, I understand that you two were excited after winning that battle against Yellow Temperance, and you both seem to have very good control over Stands, despite your age; however, you need to be more careful. With Dio hypnotizing and paying people to come after us, we need to be prepared for anything. You can't just run off and start roughhousing, not without supervision. Do I make myself clear?"  
"You already made yourself clear, yesterday, Abdul…" Suki murmured under her breath.

"Do I make myself _clear_?" The man asked again, leaning down to the eye level of the two. The girl sat up straight and clasped her hands in her lap, as Jotaro folded his arms.

"Yes, Abdul," The two sighed.

"Good," The fiery man finally quieted down, walking away and striking up a small conversation with Joseph. After he left, Suki relaxed, hunching her shoulders.

"Jeez, I feel bad. I didn't mean to worry them so much."

Kakyoin approached and sat down on Suki's other side, as he explained, "To be fair, I think it's more of the shock of how we found you. You both were certainly…positioned oddly, to say the least,"

Suki looked up at Kakyoin innocently, tilting her head and placing the fruit in her hand to her lips in thought.

"What was so weird about it?"

'Uhh…" Kakyoin darted his eyes up to Jotaro, who had turned his head at the girl's question. He raised an eyebrow, wondering if she was being serious. Looking past the thug, Kakyoin was relieved to see a familiar face approaching, "Oh, there's Polnareff!"

Suki whipped her head to the other side, following the redhead's gaze to see that he spoke the truth, as the silver-haired man waved at the group. She smiled and jumped up from her seat, rushing over to the man, as Kakyoin breathed a sigh of relief and Jotaro shook his head.

"Polnareff!"

The girl leapt at him like a spider monkey, wrapping her arms around his torso and pulling him into a tight hug.

"Whoa, hey, calm down! We just saw each other yesterday!" The Frenchman chuckled, gently embracing the girl back.

"I know, but I missed you!" Suki looked up at the man and grinned childishly, "Welcome back."

"Heh, it's good to be back," The man patted her shoulder before separating from her, joining up with the rest of the group.

"Cutting it a bit close there, Polnareff. The train was about to leave," Joseph expressed with slight concern.

"Well, I would've gotten out earlier if the chief of police hadn't been so stingy…" The Frenchman looked at the train, "So, we're finally headed to India…"

"Oh, I just remembered!" Suki caught her fist in her open palm as she made her announcement, "Yellow Temperance gave us some information about the enemy Stand users. Some of which may interest you."

Polnareff's curious expression hardened to one of anticipation, as he asked, "Are you talking about-"

His question was interrupted by the sound of the intercom ringing out, announcing that the train would leave soon.

"Let's continue this conversation on board," Abdul suggested, turning to the vehicle. As the rest of the group nodded, Suki pulled her bag up more on her shoulder, falling to the end of the party as they boarded the last car. Stopping on the steps, Suki turned back, looking at the platform.

"Getting cold feet?" Jotaro asked from the doorway into the car. Turning back with a smirk, Suki shook her head.

"You know how in some movies, people say goodbye at the back of the train while their loved ones run alongside the train until the platform ends?" She turned her attention back to the platform, "I wanna see what it's like."

After a moment, the girl heard Jotaro sigh and open the door to the car.

"Good grief, there's no one to say goodbye to, you dork. Just don't get swept away."

Suki turned again to retort at his comment, but the door was already shut by the time she had looked back. After a few seconds, Suki felt the train lurch forward as it began to move. Looking at the platform moving in front of her, she looked up further to see a face she had not wanted to see again so soon.

Anne.

"Jojo!" The girl cried out, as she began to run alongside the train, trying to jump onto the last car, the only one she could reach.

 _No. No. No. NO._

Opening her canteen, she tried to gather some water to create a slippery spot on the platform, only to discover that the container was empty.

 _Dammit, how did I forget to refill this?!_ Thoughts fired off in the girl's head like gunfire, as she desperately casted about for a solution, _If I go back inside and tell them what's going on, either she'll be able to make it to the car, and we won't be able to throw her off, or they'll try to help her because they're_ too fucking nice _!_

Scanning her body and her surroundings for any objects she could use, as the child reached out to grab onto the support, Suki's eyes darted to the almost-finished banana in her hand.

 _It'll do._

Shoving the rest of the fruit into her maw, the girl tossed the peel expertly under the falling foot of the child. The juices in the peel seeped out as Anne's shoe made contact, causing the hapless pratfall victim to fall forward, missing the train support by mere centimeters. Anne looked up from the ground at the girl on the train, as Suki gazed back at the child with a penetrating stare, attempting to send a message with her eyes that she hoped beyond hope would reach the child's brain beyond her thick skull.

 _If you know what's good for you, you_ won't _follow us_.

The girls kept their eyes locked until neither could see the other, the train platform having long since faded into the distance. Finally, Suki pulled back. Interrupting her moment of calm, Kakyoin opened the door, startling the girl on the stairs.

"Suki, are you all right? I didn't think you would be out here for this long."

Holding her heart as though it were about to burst out of her chest, Suki nodded.

"Just fine! I guess I got lost in thought, heheh."

"Where did your banana go?" He asked, pointing at her empty hand. Narrowing his eyes, he queried, "Did you litter?"

"Uh, well, fruit peels decompose in nature, right? I didn't think it would hurt anything, so I kinda tossed the peel off a ways back."

Shaking his head, the student explained, "They _do_ decompose, but it takes weeks or even months for them to break down into the soil," Pointing at the girl, he continued his lesson, "You'd be much better off just eating the peel. Those are valuable nutrients you just threw out."

Scratching the back of her neck and laughing nervously, the girl apologized, "I'll keep that in mind next time. My mistake."

"Well, come on. We have some catching up to do," Kakyoin coaxed, walking back into the car. Sparing a moment to see if anyone else would come out and speak to her, Suki finally breathed a sigh of relief and entered the car without looking back.

* * *

Chapter Four – Impression of Yellow Temperance

-END-

|To Be Continued|\|/

* * *

 **Anime shenanigans, am I right? XD I think I've got everyone who's canon in character, for the most part, but I could very well be wrong. "-_- With that said, I will see you all next week with the next chapter!** **-BlueBow**


	6. Chapter 5 - Broken Train

**WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by another warning right beforehand, and another line right where the explicit scene ends. You have been warned.**

* * *

 _Glad to be back,_ Suki thought, as she stretched upwards just outside the door. As soon as they had gotten to their cabins on the train, Suki headed straight for the restroom to change back into her cloudy blue shirt and shorts. The girl felt extremely comforted, as she felt her cape flutter subtly behind her as she walked back to the cabin where they had all decided to catch Polnareff up on what had happened the previous day. She slid open the door, as she was greeted by a nod from Joseph, as he scooted over on the bed slightly to make room for the girl to sit between himself and Abdul. Suki returned his nod with a smile, as she gently seated herself in the space provided. It seemed that Jotaro had just finished explaining the events concerning Yellow Temperance, as Polnareff scratched his chin and spoke up.

"So let me see if I've got this straight. Death, The Empress, The Emperor, and The Hanged Man are the other four Stand users out to kill us, and…" His eyes narrowed in determination, "The man with two right hands… is The Hanged Man, and he uses a mirror to attack. That sound about right?"

Suki nodded solemnly. The girl tried to focus more on the conversation being conducted and less on the stuffiness of the room. While the cabins on the Roundabout were cushy, they were clearly only meant for the purpose of sleeping, with the only piece of furniture in the tight room besides the four beds being the nightstand, which was microscopic in comparison to the majority of the room's occupants. Even though each cabin had four beds, two on the floor and two bolted to the wall, the group had collectively agreed the day before that the only person who could conceivably sleep on one of the wall beds was Suki. Each resting spot, while supported well enough for a normal man or woman, would easily collapse under the weight of anyone else in the group. As such, two people were assigned to each cabin, with the original room arrangement staying constant, save for Kakyoin and Polnareff switching. Yet here they all were, all five men and one girl squeezed into the same room. Suki thanked her lucky stars that she didn't have claustrophobia, otherwise this whole trip would've been one round of torture after another.

"It's a shame you couldn't get any information on our enemies' abilites from him," Abdul commented.

"See, that's why I've kinda been hesitant to give you guys the information I have…" Suki admitted, "I have no clue what these guys can do, so I don't know how useful my info will be."

"Nonsense, I think any prior information on who we're going to face will be very useful," Joseph reassured, patting the girl on the back. With a smile and a nod, Suki set out to rack her brain.

"Let's see…I've never met any of the four that Yellow Temperance mentioned…I can really only think of two Stand users that I have _any_ information on, regarding what they look like, that actually _would_ leave Dio's side to come attack us," Pausing to see the reaction of the others in the group, she sees them waiting with rapt attention. Taking a breath, the girl continued.

"The one I know the most about is Midler, who I actually got to meet in person. She wields the Stand of The High Priestess."

"I believe I've heard of that user before…" Abdul pondered, placing a hand to his chin in thought, "What is she like?"

"She's really flirty, and constantly talks about how she's the most beautiful person, how she's the most deserving of Dio's attention," The girl turned her head away with a huff, "She can have that monster for all I care, but that doesn't make her antics any less annoying."

" _Is_ she beautiful?" Polnareff asked.

Kakyoin sighed, "You _would_ ask that, wouldn't you?"

Rolling her eyes, Suki answered the silver-haired man's question, "Well, she's pretty, sure, but she's nowhere near the godlike plane she claims to be on. Midler's more talk than anything else."

"Who's the other Stand user you know about?" Joseph asked.

"Well, I never actually got his name. He ambushed me before I left to meet you guys in the South China Sea, when I stayed the night in Singapore," Seeing the entire group had turned their attention to her, in a silent plea to hear the story, the girl sighed as she began to tell the tale.

"That night…It was storming. The thunder had cracked really loudly and woken me up, so I just laid there, trying to go back to sleep. Suddenly, I heard the tumblers in the lock on my hotel room door moving, and I heard the door open. I had no idea what was going on, so I just laid there on my back, my eyes wide open as I tried to convince myself that I was just hearing things. It had been long enough that my eyes had adjusted well enough to the darkness, and, after a moment, I saw a silhouetted figure move in from the doorway. From what I could tell, the figure was a man with long hair. I squinted so he would think I was asleep. It must've worked, because the man crept over to my bed and reached out to me. He stopped his hand inches away from my face, letting a bug crawl out of his sleeve, down his wrist, and onto his finger. Thinking about it more, I think _that_ was his Stand."

"Weren't you scared?" Kakyoin asked curiously.

"How'd you get out of that one?" Polnareff questioned, as though trying to get someone to spoil the end of a movie.

"P-Please, one question at a time!" Suki soothed, giggling at the amount of attention her experience was getting. Clearing her throat, she continued.

"Of course, I was scared, I had no idea what was going on. Thankfully, though, Knight of Cups is always by my side, so I could keep calm and figure a way out of that mess. Fortunately, I always go to bed with a glass of water on my nightstand for just such a situation, so I made a water knife and slashed at the bug before it could get any closer. I didn't know if I had hit it right away, but the fact that I was awake must've spooked my assailant, since he started moving towards the window. As he bust through the glass, I got a better look at him, as lightning flashed just as he tried to escape. This man has long black hair and maroon eyes. After he jumped out the window, I turned the lights on, and there, on the floor..." Kakyoin and Polnareff leaned in, as Abdul and Jotaro remained still, displaying their fascination through their expressions.

"Was a bloody hand!" Joseph shouted, finishing the story. The sudden change in volume caused both Polnareff and Kakyoin to jump in their seats, hitting their heads on the bottom of the bed above them. Abdul whipped his head to Joseph, his eyes wide, before he settled into a stern expression. Jotaro merely rolled his eyes.

"Really, guys, again with this?" The delinquent asked rhetorically.

"Mr. Joestar, that's not how the story ends," Suki spoke with a shy smile, "You were close though, actually."

"Wait, I was?"

Shaking her head, Suki finished her own story, "I found a bloody finger on the floor. I thought I had missed the Stand with my swipe, but I must've nicked its tiny hand," the girl raised her finger, "This means that we can identify that Stand user if we find someone with long black hair, maroon eyes, and a missing finger."

"Could you tell what finger it was?" Jotaro asked, seemingly curious.

"Well, it would be obvious if it was the thumb, but it wasn't…" Tilting her head and folding her arms, she mused, "I threw it out after taking a look at it, so I can't pull it out and compare it. But maybe…" The girl turned to Joseph, "Mr. Joestar, could I see your hand for a moment?"

"You're not going to chop it off again, are you?" He asked, holding it to his chest in a playfully defensive manner.

"Ugh, _no_. I want to see if I can figure out what finger I took," As Joseph placed his left hand in hers, she began looking closely at each of his fingers, "So much has happened, I really only remember the size vaguely, but maybe I can get a hint…" After a few moments of looking at the old man's hand, Suki made her discernment, "It was definitely too big to be the pinky finger, but not big enough to be the middle. I'd say it was either the ring finger or the index. I don't think I could figure out which hand it belonged to."

Jotaro clicked his tongue, causing Suki to look up.

"Oh, do you think you could do better, Sherlock?"

"I don't think. I know."

"Well, listen here, you-"

The argument between the two was cut short by the sound of a man and a woman groaning in the room behind Joseph, Abdul, and Suki, as the previously ignored thumping noises grew louder, before quieting down again. Clearing his throat, Abdul looked to Suki with a curious expression.

"I've actually been meaning to ask you a question, Miss Kanao."

"Oh, really? What's that?"

"Why did that girl-"

The red-robed man was interrupted by the same sound again, only this time the words the people in the next room spoke could be heard loud and clear. Abdul desperately tried to ask the question on his mind in between the shouts of their neighbors.

"Oh, god, yes! More!"

"Why did-"

"Please please please, yesssssss!"

"Why-"

"Aaaaaah!"

Sighing with a perturbed expression, Abdul gave in and turned back to face the rest of the group, which had gone stock silent. Scanning every face in the room, Suki noticed a trend of discomfort in each expression. Joseph scratched his cheek and looked out the window. Abdul tightly folded his arms, gluing his eyes to the floor. Polnareff's leg bounced up and down as he closed his eyes and sighed. Kakyoin bit his lip, pulling gently on his stray strand of hair. Even Jotaro seemed to be affected, as he pulled his cap down way over his eyes, leaning back against the wall. The silence in their cabin continued for at least a minute, filled with nothing but the ceaseless sounds emanating from the next room. Unable to stand the interruption any longer, Suki reeled a hand back and slammed the wall with her fist, causing everyone in the room to jump.

"Hey, you mind keeping it down?! We're _trying_ to talk!" The girl shouted at the nuisance.

Whether from overexertion or actually taking Suki's words to heart, the neighbors fell silent. Waiting a few moments to see if they would start back up again, the girl sighed before turning back to the group, who all looked at her with startled expressions. Swallowing, Suki turned to Abdul.

"Now, what did you want to ask me?"

Darting his eyes over to the wall separating them from the next cabin, Abdul finally asked his question with no interruption.

"I remember that girl, Minaj, was it? She called you 'Akizuki Sukiyaki.' Why is that?"

"Ah, well," Suki twiddled her fingers embarrassedly before responding, "That's kind of my…alias. As in, my boy name."

"So, everyone in your town believed you to be male?" Kakyoin asked, tilting his head.

"My big brother and mom knew I was a girl, of course, but I wanted everyone else to think I was a boy. So, I had them call me that."

"Wow, so you're from a _town_ of idiots."

"Well, gee, I'm sorry that not everyone is a supercomputer-level genius, like you, Jotaro," Suki retorted, somewhat offended by his quip.

"What an odd name, though…" Kakyoin looked up to meet Suki's confused eyes. He raised a hand in a defensive gesture, "My apologies, that was rude. I didn't mean to-"

"Why is it odd?"

"'Akizuki' is a name for a class of ship in the Japanese navy, not exactly a name you would call a person," Jotaro explained, surprising Suki with his random fact knowledge, "And 'Sukiyaki' is a-"

"A steak dish, I know," Suki stated, before clasping her hands in her lap and looking up, "But it's…also the name of a song."

"I think I remember Holly telling me about that song once," Joseph reminisced, "That's just a nickname for the actual title, though, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Suki nodded. The girl looked down at her hands as she rubbed her thumbs over each other, "It's actually called 'I Look Up As I Walk.' It's about a man looking up and whistling as he walks along, to keep his tears from falling," Smiling meekly, she spoke quietly, "Mama always used to sing this song before I went to sleep. I would hear her humming it, too, from time to time. She always told me to keep my head held high, in good times and in bad, just by keeping this tune in my head…" Looking up, she noticed the room had gone silent. Everyone looked at her raptly, save for Polnareff, who chose to gaze out the window. Wiping at her slightly moist eyes, the girl spoke quickly, "S-Sorry, I got a bit carried away."

Kakyoin nudged the Frenchman with his elbow, catching his attention.

"Get something caught in your eye again, Polnareff?"

"No, I was just thinking…" Suki tilted her head as the silver-haired man turned and gazed into her eyes. Sighing, he continued, "Suki, this may be a bit personal, but this whole 'being a boy' business…was because of your brother, right? Isn't that what you said the day we met?"

Suki bit her lip for a moment, casting her eyes away, deep in thought.

"Y-Yeah…" Looking back and meeting Polnareff's gaze again, she took her turn asking a question, "It's…not right, is it?"

"It's not the business of any of us," Abdul cut in before the Frenchman could respond, earning a glare from him, which the robed man did not seem to notice.

"Mm," The girl nodded, scratching her cheek. An awkward silence followed.

This silence was interrupted by the sound of Suki's stomach growling. The girl laughed nervously.

"Well, it _is_ nearly time for lunch. Let's head to the dining car," Joseph suggested. With that, all of the group members moved to exit the cabin. As Suki got up, Polnareff patted her shoulder, standing up alongside her. The girl stopped and tilted her head. The Frenchman scratched the back of his neck in a slightly embarrassed manner.

"Sorry about that."

The girl shook her head.

"No, it's okay. I think…I think it's good for me to think about these things," Looking out the door, she mused, "I went through so much of my life without questioning _anything_ …Better late than never, I guess."

Turning to her friend, they shared a nod before following the rest of the gang to lunch.

* * *

"By the way, where's Anne?"

Suki nearly choked on the crème brulee she had ordered, launching into a small coughing fit. The others looked at her with concerned expressions before the girl raised a hand to reassure she was fine.

"Wrong pipe…Go on. *cough*" Aside from a curious look from Jotaro, the conversation resumed as though nothing had happened.

"She was at Singapore Station up until we walked out to the platform, but…" Joseph mused.

"I'm sure that the time for her to meet her father had arrived, so she went to see him," Abdul suggested beside him.

"I can't help but think that the brat was lying about seeing her father, though…" Polnareff pondered. Looking at Jotaro, he asked, "Well, it's a bit lonely without her around, isn't it, Jojo?"

"Not really," The man leaned back in his seat and pointed with his thumb at the girl beside him, "We've already got one bundle of joy in our group, I don't think we need two."

Gazing up at him with a smile, Suki asked, "Do you really mean that?"

"It wasn't a compliment."

The girl's smile quickly shifted into a pout, as she folded her arms and turned to look down the hall of the dining car.

"But talk about creepy…" Suki looked back upon hearing Kakyoin's voice across from her, "A Stand that perfectly disguised itself as me."

Scratching her head, Suki asked, "You're still on about that, Kakyoin?"

"Well, it's certainly not every day that someone comes along and masquerades as you."

"Fair enough," The girl admitted.

"Apparently, it had already transformed when we left the hotel," Jotaro explained.

Suki raised her arms in a shrug and shook her head, "It wasn't so perfect. The look was spot-on, but he got your attitude and mannerisms completely wrong. It was more like you'd been possessed rather than someone actively trying to play copycat."

With a chuckle, Kakyoin said, "Well, I can assure you that my mind is clear as day, with no enemy Stand in sight. And, while I'm still thinking about it," The student pointed to Suki, "I managed to finish setting up a study plan while you were out, so we can start your English lessons anytime!"

Suki's eyes lit up as she clapped her hands together excitedly, "Really? That's great!"

The redhead smiled at the girl's enthusiasm, before his eyes drifted down to Jotaro's plate. Pointing at the plate, he requested, "Jojo, are you going to eat that cherry? I don't mean to be greedy, but they're my favorite. Could I have it?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks."

The student then looked out the window and began to bounce the cherry along his tongue, an action that seemed all-too-natural to him. Suki raised an eyebrow before turning to Jotaro, who's expression grew disgusted. Upon their eyes locking, Suki giggled nervously.

"Hey, look, Jojo. Flamingos in flight."

Jotaro merely leaned his elbow on the table, closing his eyes and resting his head on his fist, as he said, "Good grief."

"Ooh, flamingos?" The girl looked out the window, searching for the pink birds, "Where are they?"

Kakyoin pointed out the window, in a direction Suki could not see from where she sat. Standing, she moved to the side of the table to get a better look, and, sure enough, there they were. The simple sight caused a small smile to turn up her lips. Suddenly, the girl jolted upon feeling a person try and nudge past her.

"Ah, sorry!" She apologized, turning to the man who tried to make his way past her.

""No, it's fi-" The man looked closer at the girl, narrowing his eyes. Looking the observing man up and down, Suki's attention was caught by his dark, almost black eyes and oddly patterned red shirt.

"Is…something wrong, sir?" The girl tilted her head confusedly.

"That voice…" Red Shirt grabbed the girl by the collar of her shirt and spoke quickly and lowly, "It's _you_! _You're_ the one who interrupted us!"

"Interrupted?" Tapping her chin, after a moment, Suki received a loud revelation, "Oh! You're one of the people who was yelling and groaning in the neighboring cabin!" Taking his hand and guiding it off of her shirt, she gazed into the man's eyes, which were struck shocked, as she took a moment to ask, "Were you two sparring or something? There sure were a lot of loud noises coming from that room…" The girl looked over upon hearing Polnareff snicker at the exchange.

"Are you…" Grabbing her again and lifting her up by the collar, the man shouted, " _Are you fucking kidding me?!_ First, you interrupt me and my girlfriend, and _now_ you're humiliating me in front of a bunch of strangers!"

"T-To be honest, _you_ were interrupting _us_ first…" Suki claimed, attempting to loosen the man's grip on her top.

" _I don't care!_ You knew exactly what you were doing!"

Shaking her head, Suki desperately tried to defend herself from the strange man's yells, as she felt moisture begin to prick at the corners of her eyes, "I don't understand!"

"That's it, you need to be taught a lesson!" The man wound his fist back and loosed a punch, as Suki closed her eyes and braced for an impact she knew not the cause of. The only sound she heard as she prepared herself was the disapproving squeak of the tables.

Suddenly, she felt her feet hit the ground, as the grip on her shirt disappeared. Opening her eyes, Suki saw that Joseph had gotten up and dragged the man away from his victim by the back of his shirt, engulfing the assailant's fist in his other hand. Looking about, Suki saw the other men had also stood up and were all glaring at the man.

"Please understand, I don't think violence will benefit you here," Joseph's words were peaceful, but his expression betrayed a different emotion. As the man looked at each group member with a frightened face, he turned back to the man holding him and nodded.

"I-I understand…"

"Off you go, then," Joseph let go of the man's shirt then, giving him a little shove forward. The assailant scampered past the girl back in the direction he had planned on going in all along. Dusting herself off, the girl smiled at the old man.

"Thanks for the help! Although," Putting a hand to her chin, the girl wondered aloud, "I feel a little bad. I have no idea what that man was so flustered about…"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Joseph's eyes widen, as the rest of the men exchanged looks of confusion and shock. Polnareff was the only one unaffected by this statement, shrugging his shoulders.

"And you guys call _me_ dim? Am I seriously the only one who picked up on this?"

"Picked up on what?" The girl addressed the Frenchman, tilting her head.

"Suki," Joseph sighed and made full eye contact with the girl, hoping beyond all hope that this was just a misunderstanding on the part of everyone else, "You… _do_ know what sex is, right?"

Bringing a finger to her chin, the youth thought for a moment before giving her response.

"When a man and a woman love each other very much, they…" Scratching her head, she finished her thought, "They sleep in the same bed together…?"

A moment passed, as the rest of the group waited anxiously for Suki to laugh and say that she was joking.

She never did.

"Wait, I _do_ remember hearing something…What was it…?" Raising a finger, she mused, "'It's as simple as putting a stick in a hole.' So…" The girl looked about for a moment before snatching her straw out of her glass and examining it curiously, "Is it sex if I put this straw in my mouth…?" Tilting her head and resting it in her free hand, she murmured, "But I don't love this straw _that_ much…"

"Putting a straw in your mouth…Isn't sex," Joseph explained, drawing a hand over his face. With a heavy sigh, Jotaro moved to get up, walking past the old man to the neighboring car, "Jotaro, where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here."

"Wait, Jotaro, I'll go with you!" Kakyoin called, getting up himself and following his fellow student.

"Okay, if that isn't sex, then what is?" Suki asked, replacing the straw casually.

Polnareff stood up and gave Joseph a pat on the shoulder, raising his eyebrows, before walking out of the dining car in the opposite direction to the students. Scanning the car to see that everyone had left, save for Abdul and Suki, Joseph turned to his friend with a helpless expression.

"Honestly, Mr. Joestar, I believe it would make the most sense for _you_ to explain it to her, being the eldest and…" The man cleared his throat, "Most experienced of the group."

"That _does_ make sense," Suki nodded. Turning to the old man, she clasped her hands together and leaned forward in her plea, "Please, Mr. Joestar, what is sex?"

A moment passed, before Joseph brought a hand to his forehead and sighed.

"Oh my God…" Shaking his head and looking at the girl, he acquiesced, "Fine, I'll tell you, but not here. This isn't something you discuss in public," Beckoning to Suki with a small hand motion, he led her back to the cabins.

* * *

Despite Joseph making the explanation as simple as he could possibly make it, Suki's constant oblivious questions kept delaying the end of the discussion, especially with her inflexibility of throwing out her belief in the stork. Finally, after more than an hour, the girl folded her arms as her cheeks heated slightly.

"Man, I never knew sex was so…intimate."

"Well, now you _do_ know," The old man said with a sigh. He thanked his lucky stars that Suzie Q took the reins on educating Holly on this topic, as he felt that he could only stand to explain this subject matter once to a child who didn't know any better, much less one that _should've_ known at the age of eighteen.

"Okay, _now_ I understand why that guy was so angry with me, and why you guys were so uncomfortable hearing the two people," Turning to Joseph and smiling, the girl nodded, "Thank you for explaining this to me. You didn't have to do that."

"It's…not a problem," Joseph lied, scratching his head.

The girl shook her head, "No, it _is_ a problem! I forced this on you and made you uncomfortable," Suki wrapped her body in her arms and tilted her head to the side, "I'm sorry."

Blinking, Joseph patted the girl on the shoulder and reassured, "You don't have to apologize. Someone had to tell you, I just wish it could've been someone closer to you," The girl shuffled her feet, rubbing her shin with her ankle, keeping her eyes on the floor. Curiosity getting the better of him, the old man asked, "Your mother never brought this up to you?"

"No, never," Suki scratched her cheek and turned her gaze back to her ally, "Maybe she thought I already knew, or something…? To be honest though, she kind of forces me to be independent. Like, anytime I ask her what something is, outside of designated classtime hours, she tells me," Sitting up straight and waving her finger like a strict teacher, she spoke sternly, "'I'm not an encyclopedia, go look it up!'"

"So, you never asked her about this?"

"My Big Bro told me that I didn't need to know about sex, and he never let anyone tell me. According to him, Dio engaged in it a lot, but he always complained about what led up to it. As a result, I could always excuse myself before it happened," Suki folded her arms and looked up at the ceiling in thought, "But, now that I know _what_ it is…Why would he keep that from me…?" Biting her thumb, she spoke around it, "It's really odd…"

"I'm curious, what is your brother like?" Joseph asked. Suki's eyes lit up.

"Oh, he's the _best_! He's kind and responsible, and he's always putting the needs of others first!" Blushing slightly, the girl gazed at the floor, "He always puts my needs before his. Even if he's sad, he always tries to make me happy. So, I always try to make him happy, too," Pulling out her amulet, she instinctively turned the knob and allowed the sweet tune to play. Her lips turned up in a gentle smile.

"Did your brother give you that?"

The girl nodded.

"I remember…I remember when he gave this to me…"

* * *

"Big Bro, you're so lucky!" Suki pouted slightly as she looked at the necklace in her brother's hand, "I can't believe Mama gave you Great Grandma Ellie's necklace!"

The man looked at the star in his hand wistfully, before shifting his attention back to the innocent girl in front of him.

"You know it's more than just an heirloom to her, right?"

"Yeah! Mama proposed to Papa with that! She wanted to show him proof, proof that she wanted him to be a part of her family!"

Kyuu nodded.

"Mom gave me this so I could show the girl of my dreams just how much I love her…" Taking a breath, he made a request, "Sis, could you close your eyes?"

With a jovial nod, Suki closed her eyes and covered them with her hands. A few moments later, she felt her brother's presence behind her, as he slipped the chain around her neck.

"Big Bro, w-what are you doing?" Opening her eyes and looking at the star-shaped music box that rested around her neck, she looked up and behind her into the compassionate blue irises of her brother, "I can't take this from you! Mama gave it to you to propose to the girl you love!"

The man chuckled and patted his sister on the head, ruffling her hair, "Silly, what do you think I'm doing?"

"W-Wait, so…you mean…?"

Walking around and taking the girl by the shoulders, Kyuu looked deeply into her innocent brown eyes.

"I want to marry you, Suki. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Suki's mouth gaped open as she processed his words, turning the pendant over and over in her hands.

"Are…Are you _sure_ , Big Bro? There's…There's gotta be way better girls out there than me…"

The man shook his head and embraced his sister warmly.

"No. There's no one else. You're perfect. Don't let anyone tell you differently," The man paused before continuing, "I know you're too young to marry right now, but I swear, when the time comes, I'll get down on my knee and propose for real! But, for now…" Kyuu pulled back and gazed into her eyes again, "I want the promise to be there. Is that okay?"

After a moment, the girl nodded and smiled happily, tears forming at the edges of her eyes.

"Yeah! I love you, Big Bro!"

* * *

"Suki, are you alright?" Joseph asked, snapping the girl out of her reverie.

"Yeah, why?" Her voice shook.

"You started crying all of a sudden," The girl rubbed at her eyes and was surprised to see they came away moist, "Are you _sure_ you're alright?"

Thinking for a moment, the girl pulled her legs up onto the bed, bringing her knees to her chin and curling into a ball.

"I-I'm fine. I'm just…" Suki found she couldn't sift through her cesspool of thoughts enough to form a coherent sentence, so she decided to forgo talking and instead bury her face in her legs. A moment later, she felt an arm wrap across her back, pulling her closer to the man beside her.

"It's alright. I understand."

Suki's eyes widened as she remembered.

 _I'm such an idiot. How could I forget?_

Letting her legs fall back to the floor, she leaned against Joseph's shoulder, accepting his gesture of comfort.

"I'm sorry."

"Now, why are you apologizing?" The man asked, rubbing her shoulder.

"Because you guys are just as worried about Holly, but you keep moving forward. I'm just dragging you down. I'm not as strong as you all…"

Joseph thought for a moment about how to respond. Coming up with an answer, he looked to the girl leaning on his shoulder.

"Crying doesn't make you weak. If anything, it's a good thing that you're able to show us how you feel. So, don't think you're dragging us down. You're strong, too, just in a different way."

Taking a moment to process his words, tears began to flow down Suki's cheeks anew, as she covered her face with her hands and curled up closer to the man beside her.

"I-I miss him. I miss him so much…"

"I know. It's okay."

The only sound that pervaded the room was the sound of the girl's lonely sobs.

* * *

On the second day of the trip, Suki got a tip from Kakyoin on where the library was, succeeding a tip that one actually existed on the Roundabout. And so, Suki set out to find a specific book. Slowly meandering down the aisle, she ran her thumb across the coarse book spines.

"Now, if I were a biology textbook, where would I be…?"

"Try the shelf two rows over."

"Ah, thanks!" Suki smiled at the anonymous voice, moving to the directed area, before stopping upon recognizing the voice. Having heard the voice in the adjacent aisle, she pushed two sets of books in opposite directions to create a space through which she could see the man who had spoken to her. She grinned.

"Jo~ta~ro! Didn't expect to see you here!"

The thug raised his eyebrows slightly before reverting back to his usual cold expression.

"The hell are you doing?"

"Hang on a sec, I wanna find that book before I forget where you said it was," The girl turned and walked to the location she was directed to. She looked back after a moment to see Jotaro following her.

"Lonely, much?"

"No. I figured if you might forget what I just told you so easily, you might forget that I'm even here."

Rolling her eyes, Suki spoke as they walked, "To answer your question, I was just having a little fun calling out to you. Your name is fun to say."

"You know you can call me JoJo, right?"

"Heh, I'm flattered, but I like the way 'Jotaro' sounds more. Unless, you don't want me to refer to you that way?"

The man shrugged as they arrived at the science section of the small library. Deciding upon a random book about human anatomy, Suki quickly began to thumb through the pages.

"Okay, let's see…Reproductive system is…here!"

"Wait, you-" Jotaro sighed and pulled his cap down over his face, muttering, "Please tell me you didn't come to the library just to look at pictures of dicks."

Closing the book, making sure to mark the page with her thumb, the girl chattered, "Well, how else am I supposed to figure out what they look like? Mr. Joestar wouldn't tell me! This is the only way to figure out what they look like, unless…" Suki looked at Jotaro out of the corner of her eye with an unspoken question in her mind. The man folded his arms and exhaled exhaustedly.

"You are one of a kind."

"So, is that a-"

"It's a 'no.'"

"Fiiiiiiine," Suki whined, holding onto the book and skimming the rest of the shelf.

"And don't go randomly asking people to show you their dick. It's fucking rude."

"Yeah, yeah," The girl replied without turning, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture.

"If you want to see one so bad, why don't you look through whatever porn they have here?"

Suki turned and tilted her head, a confused expression staining her features.

"Goddammit, old man…" Jotaro muttered with a sigh, "Look, all I'll tell you is that you'll know it when you see it, and it will be hidden."

"Why can't you tell me where it is?"

"Because I don't know," Fiddling with the brim of his cap, he added, "All I know is that this train is advertised as being able to cater to every need. If that's the case, it _has_ to have something for everyone."

"So…it's like a scavenger hunt?" The girl asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Yeah. Like a scavenger hunt," With that, the man began walking back to the aisle he had previously been perusing.

"Okay, let's find some porn!" The girl whispered to herself, punching her open palm in a gesture of enthusiasm.

One hour later, having scoured every shelf from top to bottom, with no sign of what she would know when she saw it, the girl sat dejectedly in the corner between two shelves.

"Dang it, where are you hiding…?" Leaning back against the wall, the youth was surprised to find it had some give to it. Testing the wall, she found she could just barely squeeze her fingers between the wall panel and the shelf. Pulling on the panel, she found the wall panel was a cleverly disguised door, leading into a small, poorly lit room, only big enough to fit one person at a time.

"Hmm…" Crawling through the doorway, after making sure no one saw her discovery, the girl closed the panel just so behind her. On closer inspection, any who entered seemed to have the option of locking the door, if they so wished. The girl decided to take that option. Turning to examine the room, she was surprised to find it to be quite bare, save for one lone bookshelf directly in front of her. The secret room seemed to be something like a repurposed closet, with a lone lightbulb swinging overhead from the movement of the train, unable to completely dispel the shadows hiding in the corners of the small space. The single shelf was completely packed full of magazines and books of different sizes and thicknesses, with no space between them. Picking a magazine at random, the girl examined the cover and found she recognized it.

On the cover of this magazine was a picture of two people, neither wearing clothes. One person was an older, semi-attractive man, pressing a woman up against a window. The title of the zine was "Foxy Grandpa." This feeling of recognition, unlike the other time she had seen the cover before, was coupled with a sense of bizarre fascination, aching to see what lay beyond the front page.

 _A peek couldn't hurt…right?_

Nodding to herself, squinting in the poor lighting, Suki began to peruse the magazine. Knight of Cups phased into view behind her to get a better look. The girl turned to her Stand.

"You wanna look, too?"

The wraith nodded enthusiastically. With a smile, the girl turned to the first page.

* * *

The magazine the girl had found turned out to be more of a comic, all in English. Yet the pictures served to be explanation enough of what was happening. Suki found herself experimenting, trying the tricks the man in the story was using on the woman. Needless to say, the experiment yielded results of a previously unknown nature.

It took her all of five minutes to recover from her experience, and Knight of Cups hadn't seemed to fare too much better, painted red like a thermometer.

Satisfied that she had won her own little scavenger hunt, Suki quietly unlocked the door and stuck her nose through the opening, seeing that no one was in the adjacent aisle. Closing her eyes tightly, the girl swung herself out of the room, shutting the panel behind her and breathing out a sigh.

"I guess you found it."

Suki jumped, whipping around to see Jotaro standing right behind her, his hands in his pockets. Calming down, the girl scratched her cheek, blushing slightly.

"Uh, yeah…"

Deciding not to pursue the subject any further, the man returned to the shelf he had been looking through.

"I didn't expect you to still be here."

"I haven't looked through all that they've got," The delinquent remarked, folding his arms and looking closer at a previously unexamined shelf.

"Psh, and you were getting on _my_ case for being a dork. And Kakyoin's, for that matter."

"Do you see anything better to do?"

"I mean, you could talk to the others…?"

"Pass."

Joining Jotaro's stride as he scanned the shelves, the girl put a hand to her chin, "You seem to get along just fine with the others, even though you don't seem to like talking. Is it just something you're getting used to?" The man stopped, as he turned away from the girl he had been listening to. After a moment, the girl asked another question, "How come you talk to me so much, if talking makes you so uncomfortable?"

After fiddling with the brim of his hat for a few moments, he sighed and spoke.

"One of a kind."

"Hm?" The girl asked, tilting her head. Breathing a sigh, the man explained.

Locking eyes with her, he folded his arms and leaned against a shelf, "You intrigue me."

A moment passed before the girl darted her eyes away, her cheeks flushing. It was obvious that he hadn't meant it as a euphemism for 'I like you,' romantically or not, but it was still a phrase that Suki had never heard before.

 _Being referred to as intriguing…I don't know why, but I feel…vulnerable._

"And then you make me spout nonsense like that."

"Huh?" Scratching her cheek, she murmured, "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable…"

"How'd you know that?"

Tilting her head, the girl asked, "What do you mean? It was pretty obvious to me that you were embarrassed about saying those things. You cast your eyes away or sigh, whenever something seems uncomfortable. If you must know, though, it's because of-"

"Your brother?"

"My bro-" The girl was startled by his prediction, "Y-yeah…"

"At least I have something about you figured out."

The two were silent for a bit, before the girl spoke up.

"You know, he knew being sad made me sad. He always tried to hide it," Shrugging her shoulders, Suki continued, "I kinda _had_ to learn to read people like that. Not that it's _easy_ to read either of you."

"That reminds me," The man asked, thumbing through the books on a shelf he had passed, but not yet examined in detail, "That whole knight mantra you have," He looked to the girl at his side, "Is that also because of him?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

"We would read stories about knights all the time, when we were younger!" Holding her head in her hand, slightly embarrassed, she added, "It got to the point where we both wanted to be knights. We'd always strive to protect those in need and protect each other," Looking down at the ground shyly, she concluded, "I was his knight…and he was mine."

A small silence ensued. Realizing what she'd said must've sounded unbelievably corny, as the delinquent looked at her with raised eyebrows, she raised her hands in a silent request for him to dismiss what he'd heard.

"Sorry, that must've sounded really dorky."

After a moment, the man turned and continued down the aisle, his back to the girl.

"No, not really."

Tilting her head at his reaction, Suki followed Jotaro to the door leading into the room.

"I think we're meeting up for dinner soon."

"Okay!"

Closing the door behind them, the two walked down the hall towards the cabin car in somewhat companionable silence, before the man asked a further question.

"Did you spar with him?"

"Mmhmm," The girl brought an arm out and flexed it, patting her bicep with her other hand, "I think years of that has paid off pretty well, if guys like you say I'm strong!" Knight of Cups appeared behind her user and circled about her playfully, "And it helped build Knight's strength, too."

The girl smiled at her Stand, as the wraith reciprocated, as much as she could without a mouth. Seeing the thug look at the two with a raised eyebrow, Suki looked over with a sincere smile.

"Have you ever tried talking with your Stand?"

He shook his head.

"It's worth a try. I like to think of Stands as companions, but maybe my own Stand is just special…or something, heheh."

Looking from the girl to her Stand and back again, the man took a breath before calling out Star Platinum. The violet gladiator phased into view next to his user, his expression as stoic as ever.

"Okay…What now?"

Suki shrugged.

"He's _your_ Stand."

Jotaro looked up at the spirit floating in front of him. The Stand tilted his head, probably wondering why he had been summoned if a battle wasn't going on.

"Uhm…Maybe Knight can break the ice?" Looking at her own Stand, Suki gave a small nod, causing Knight to float jovially over to her ally. After taking a moment to examine the fellow Stand, she twirled and bowed gracefully. Star merely watched, somewhat befuddled by the casual nature of his ally. Knight rose up from her bow and smiled with her eyes at Star, presenting her watery hand to the Stand in front of her. Looking at her hand, surprising both his own user and Knight's user, Star gave the smallest of smiles. He returned the gesture, grasping Knight's hand, but much too tightly. Knight jolted from the squeeze, as Suki winced.

"Star Platinum, not so hard."

The purple spirit looked over to his user with widened eyes before letting go of the other Stand's hand, looking at Knight apologetically. Suki's Stand raised her hands in a soothing gesture, silently telling him not to worry about it.

"Is that what you would consider a start?"

"Well, with Knight, our first interactions were just as awkward, so I'd say it _is_ a start," Looking at her Stand, Suki grinned, "It's good to see you made a new friend, though, Knight!" Knight of Cups nodded at her user before waving to Jotaro and Star Platinum and promptly vanishing behind the girl. Star followed suit, phasing out of view. Suki took a few steps down the hall before beckoning to the student.

"Come on, we don't wanna be late for dinner!"

Nodding, the delinquent joined the girl in stride to the cabins.

* * *

After dinner, the sky had already grown dark. Bidding Polnareff, Joseph, Kakyoin, and Jotaro good night, Suki rushed to the end car, where a simple lounge area sat, for those who wanted to get some fresh air during the trip. Stretching her back, the girl realized just how stuffy the train had been, and how refreshing being outside was by comparison. From what she could see from the doorway, no one seemed to be out on the deck.

 _Perfect._

Walking out to the railing, the youth took a moment to feel the wind rushing through her hair, closing her eyes to take in the cool night. Opening her eyes, she looked up at the sky and reached out, as though to shake hands with the stardust. After a moment, she pulled her hand back and regripped the railing.

 _No, no. Be patient._

Suddenly, exactly what Suki had been waiting for shot across the sky.

A shooting star.

She launched her hand out to it and closed it around the star, bringing her fist to her chest and looking down at it with glazed eyes.

"Good evening."

The girl jumped, not having noticed Abdul sitting out of view of the door. He looked to have been relaxing, calmly sitting cross-legged with his arms folded, as the wind rushed past him. His eyes, previously closed, were now open and gazing at the youth curiously.

"G-Good evening."

"What were you doing?"

She cast her eyes away, a small blush tinting her cheeks as she admitted to her intentions.

"Catching a star," Turning back to look out at the railroad appearing out from the back of the train and fading into the distance, she shyly spoke of her pastime, "People wish on stars all the time, but my brother told me that if you want your wish to come true no matter what, you have to _catch_ the star," Looking up at the sky, she continued, "It's been overcast for the past few nights, so I haven't been able to catch one. I was glad to see clear skies tonight, and, just my luck," The girl looked down at her hand, "I got one."

The man stood and joined the girl over by the railing.

"What did you want to wish for?"

Suki pouted as she turned to her ally, "I can't tell you that! It won't come true if I _tell_ you!"

Bringing her fist to her lips, she mouthed against it for a moment, silently marking the "star" with her wish, before opening her hand and blowing what she had caught into the night. Sighing, Suki took the railing in her hands again as she gazed upwards.

"I swear, looking at the stars never gets old," The girl murmured in awe.

"Have you ever had your fortune told by the stars?"

Suki turned to Abdul with glittering eyes.

"People can do that…?"

" _I_ can do that, if you so wish. I am a fortune teller, after all."

The girl leaned forward and brought her fists up to her chin, her excitement made plain.

"Wow, that's amazing! Can we do that right now?"

Chuckling at the youth's enthusiasm, Abdul replied, "Unfortunately, for the most accurate fortune, we'd need to be stationary. A moving train isn't the best place for an accurate prediction with astromancy."

"Aww…" Suki turned away, her expression growing dismal. Quickly coming up with a way to curb her dejection, Abdul made another suggestion.

"Until then, I could tell your fortune using a different method."

"Like what?" The girl turned back, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Have you ever had your palm read?"

Looking at her palm, she wondered, "How will my palm allow you to make predictions?"

"Well, you are aware how a thumbprint differs from person to person, correct?"

"Yeah…"

"The arrangement and size of the lines on a person's palm are of a similar nature: they differ from person to person. I can use that information to tell a person about traits they may not be aware of, as well as how their life may play out."

Adopting the same excited stance she had taken earlier, her breath came out in hot puffs, "That's so cool! Could we do that? Pretty please?"

The man chuckled, nodding and leading the girl to two wooden chairs that sat out on the deck. As the two sat down, Abdul snapped his fingers, summoning Magician's Red to create a small floating will-o-wisp that would provide the light he required to examine the girl's palm in detail. He held out his hand to the girl, as she slowly maneuvered her open palm into his, before quickly yanking it back.

"Is something wrong?" Abdul asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"N-No, it's just…" Suki scratched her cheek, somewhat embarrassed, "I-I didn't expect your hands to be so _warm_ …"

Her ally's mouth gaped open slightly, before he tipped his head back and laughed, something Suki had had yet to hear from the man. Pouting, the girl continued.

"I'm serious! It's like there's fire rolling underneath your skin! Are you secretly made of fire or something?"

"I can assure you, that is not the case."

"Well, I think you're lying to me," The girl accused, leaning forward in her seat.

The man folded his arms, his expression growing serious.

"I'd prefer not to argue about this."

Suki sat back in her chair, tilting her head.

"Oh, why?"

Abdul looked back towards the girl, his lips pulling up in a smirk.

"I'm afraid the argument would get too heated."

A moment passed, as Suki's mouth gaped open slightly, before she covered it with both hands, snickering.

"Oh my God, that was _terrible_!"

"Your laughter says otherwise."

"Oh, just shut up and tell my fortune already!" The girl spoke, sticking her tongue out playfully.

Suki placed her left hand back in Abdul's as he began to examine it closely. The man started by pressing his own palm against the girl's fingers, testing their flexibility.

"Somewhat flexible…You aren't completely apprehensive of arguments, as you can be a bit stubborn, but you would prefer not to cause friction," He looked up, gauging Suki's reaction to his first prediction about her mentality. She continued to stare at their connected hands, her eyebrows raising ever-so-slightly. The man continued after a moment.

"Your fingers are short compared to your palm, but both your palm and fingers are still quite long. This speaks of recklessness, and becoming overly focused on details; however, this also betrays an instinctive intuitiveness and sensitivity," Turning her hand over, he examined her nails, "This almond shape," Looking up, he asked, "Do you consider yourself frugal, Miss Kanao?"  
Making a dismissive gesture with her free hand, Suki tittered, "Please, no need to be so formal! You can call me by my first name! And, uhm…" Turning her head and ruffling her hair, she stammered, "Well, I _have_ been told money burns a hole in my pocket…"

Abdul explained with a sympathetic smile, "Almond shaped nails speak of high sensitivity and lack of financial astuteness. You have made your emotional delicacy quite clear on several occasions, but your financial responsibilities have come up much less frequently."

 _Jeez, this turned personal pretty quickly_ , Suki thought, laughing nervously to mask her insecurity, _I mean, he's right, and it feels really weird having someone else tell me how I live. I kind of want to stop, but I_ did _ask for this..._

Turning her hand back over, Abdul traced the three prominent lines on her wrist, illuminating, "Three distinct lines betrays physical strength and endurance…And the size of your Mount of Apollo," The man continued, pointing at the fleshy elevation below her thumb, "Means you recover from illness quickly as well."  
 _This is shaping up to be more of a_ hand _reading session than a_ palm _reading session…_ The girl pondered, tilting her head.

"This is intriguing…" Suki looked up upon seeing Abdul raise a hand to his chin in thought.

"What is it?"

"Well, the smaller size of your index finger seems to suggest that you prefer to follow, rather than lead, and need to be needed; however, taking that into account," Pointing in succession to her middle finger and her thumb, "Your bent middle finger gives the sense that you undervalue your own abilities, and the length of your thumb betrays a prideful nature that prevents you from becoming too dependent on other people."

"Ah, uh…huh…" The girl thought intensely about all of this information.

"I apologize. I should've made it clear before that it isn't just the lines in the palm that speak of a person's inner workings. The entire structure of the hand also betrays information about the personality and lifestyle of the owner."

"No, no, it's fine!" Shaking her head, the girl expressed, "I'm just surprised at _how much_ you _can_ figure out from just looking at a person's hand! It's really impressive!"

The man chuckled, "I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself."

 _Enjoying…isn't quite the right word,_ the girl admitted inwardly, _More like…I'm_ _fascinated._

Looking closer at the lines in her palm and tracing over them with a single finger, Suki's hand twitched minutely at the ticklish sensation.

"These are very deep lines…" He murmured with a sense of interest.

"Uh…is that a _good_ thing?"

"Well, let's see," Tracing across the line that extended from the left side of her palm and swept sharply down to her wrist, "Your mind wanders, and you have difficulty concentrating, but your optimism is unparalleled. And…" Running the tip of his finger along the horizontal line that lay above, "You place heavy emphasis on the family and the home, idealizing emotional attachments."

"So, does reading a person's palm only tell you about what they are like?" The girl asked with a tilt of her head.

"Not necessarily. For instance," He traced a line that extended from the wrist to the middle line in her palm, "With the Fate Line that ends at the Head Line, I can predict that you may have potential financial loss on your hands due to poor judgment later in life."

Scratching her head, Suki murmured, "Gee, that's encouraging…"

"However, though this prediction is somewhat less absolute," Pointing to a small collection of lines that lay close to the line above what he called the "Head Line," he smiled gently, "Your Affection Lines lying in close proximity to your Heart Line means you will find love early in life."

"Oh, wow! I can't believe you can tell all of that! You're really good at this!"

Chuckling, Abdul clarified, "Well, this _is_ my occupation of choice."

"I know, but it's still really impressive!" The girl, thinking they were finished, attempted to gently retract her hand, only for the fortune-teller to tighten his grip slightly, his expression growing perturbed as his brow furrowed.

"Is…something wrong?"

"This…I can't believe this slipped by me before!"

"What? What is it?"

Seemingly ignoring her, the man leaned closer to her palm, looking to be in disbelief about what he saw, "So many…There are so many horizontal lines between _and_ below your middle and ring fingers…!"

"Uh, Abdul? Is…that a _bad_ thing?" Gasping, she leant towards the man, desperate for an answer, "Am I gonna die in the next month?!"

Shaking his head, the man soothed, "No, no, it doesn't speak of death. I apologize for startling you."

Finally pulling back her hand and examining her palm herself, Suki quietly spoke, "It's alright, but if it didn't tell you about something fatal, what _did_ it tell you…?"

Suki was surprised to see Abdul's cheeks tinge red, fully exposed by the small flame floating in the air, as he turned and scanned the steadily moving horizon.

"That is…er…"

Before the man could respond, the dim ceiling light that had remained on for their time outside flickered out. Even after a few moments, the light never came back on. Looking back to the door, the two observed that the light in the train car that had emanated through the window had blacked out. The overwhelming sense of silence bore down on the two sitting outside, as the previously dull din coming from the cabins seemed to have dissipated entirely, the only sound resonating through the air being the constant chugging of the locomotive.

"It's…awful quiet, all of a sudden," The man nodded his agreement to the girl's statement, "Maybe there's a power outage or something?"

"Perhaps," Abdul stood up, holding out his hand to the girl to support her as she followed, "No matter the case, we should make haste back to the cabins. Something doesn't feel quite right."

"Yeah, I'm no fortune teller, but I can't help feeling a bit uneasy myself."

Giving a small, short laugh, the man expressed, "I wouldn't call intuition a guaranteed gift of the fortune-telling trade."

Smiling back, the girl opened the door and led the way to the cabins.

The halls were dark as the two carefully tiptoed through the few cars between the deck and their rooms, as Abdul carried his small ember in front of them to light the way.

 _This silence…I feel like something is going to jump out at me_ , the girl thought uneasily. She cast a few sneaky glances at the man beside her, and saw that his eyes were darting all over their surroundings, as though trying to keep watch over a jumping flea, _Man, even_ Abdul _seems to be a bit on edge…_

Finally arriving at the group of cabins, Suki turned to the fortune teller, awaiting further instruction.

"I'll check in with Mr. Joestar and Kakyoin. You should check up on Polnareff and Jotaro."

With a nod, the girl turned and tried the door to their cabin.

 _It's…unlocked?_

The door slid open with more resistance than Suki had experienced earlier that day. Stepping inside the room, she pulled her flashlight out from her satchel and darted the small beacon of light about the room. Lighting Polnareff's and Jotaro's faces as she edged closer, she could see their faces remained still.

 _Must be heavy sleepers…?_

Moving to Jotaro with an inkling that he was the lighter sleeper of the two, Suki touched his arm before grasping it and gently shaking the man.

"Jotaro…Can you hear me? Something's going on, I need you to wake up…!"

The thug didn't even turn away from the distressed youth as his peaceful demeanor and gentle breathing remained. Giving up and turning to the quietly snoring Polnareff, Suki tried the same tactic on him, jostling the Frenchman a bit more as her panic rose.

"Polnareff, you've gotta wake up. I've got a bad feeling about this…!"

Unbeknownst to the girl, a presence was slowly but surely looming behind her. Feeling something crawling up her neck, raising the thin hairs that rested there, she turned to see a hazy, disembodied right arm floating behind her, a ghostly white contrast to the shadows of the room. With no time to scream, the arm curled around the girl's neck and yanked her back against the nightstand, knocking the lamp that perched there onto the floor, as it held her in the air against the wall. Fully expecting the arm to pull her through the wall it was currently phasing out of, she was more frightened to discover that it was just holding her, taunting her with the presence of the two sleeping men who wouldn't wake up. The girl's legs were not long enough to kick either of the men awake from where she was held, let alone reach them, and while the arm wasn't trying to choke her or snap her neck, she couldn't wiggle out of the tight grip that rested under her chin. The futility of this frightening situation finally became too much to bear, as Suki loosed a primal, terrified screech, shutting her eyes and yanking at the arm with all of her strength.

"Magician's Red!"

The girl heard a snap as a small flame landed on the ghostly arm, causing it to reel back and escape through the wall. Abdul rushed into the cabin to catch the girl as she fell forward. Making a nice catch, he set the girl on the ground in front of the nightstand and looked at her concernedly.

"Are you alright, Suki?"

Finally catching her breath, wiping the cold sweat from her brow, the girl exhaled.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

Looking back at the wall through which the wraith-like limb had escaped, Abdul narrowed his eyes in thought.

"I do _not_ like the looks of this…"

"Did you have any luck waking up Mr. Joestar or Kakyoin?"

The fortune teller shook his head, "It doesn't appear you succeeded on your end either."

Bringing a hand to her chin and pacing towards the door, before turning back to the man, she wondered aloud, "I can understand not waking up from a bit of jostling, but I screamed loud enough that my throat hurts a bit now…"

"Could the Stand user be keeping the rest of our group asleep?" Shaking his head, the man folded his arms, "But that doesn't make sense…A minion of Dio's would've killed without a second thought, if given the chance. What is the purpose?"

Hugging her arms, shrinking inward slightly, the girl spoke quietly, "Whatever the case is, _someone's_ after us…And _just_ us," Shaking her head, loosening her grip on her body, she thought aloud, "I'd like to hope that this is just one big misunderstanding, that I'm just jumping to conclusions again, but the presence of that hand and the fact that _nothing_ seemed to wake anyone in our group makes me think that someone wants to pick us off."

"Either way, we'll need to find whoever attacked you. Staying here is pointless, and knowing enemy Stand users, they won't give up after the first failure."

"Yeah, no kidding," Suki pulled the Roundabout brochure out of her bag. She silently thanked her foresight for telling her it would be wise to own one. Opening it, she coaxed the wary man over as she picked up her flashlight and turned it on over the thin paper.

"Let's see…" She looked to the image depicting the structure of the train, "We're…here, I think," The girl murmured, pointing to the third train car from the last. Moving her finger along the blueprint, she mused, "So, that leaves one passenger car in front of us, the lounge car with the library, the dining car, the staff quarters, the storage car, and the engine room," Closing the brochure and replacing it, she turned to the man beside her and suggested, "I think we should make sure the engineer hasn't been affected before we deal with the Stand user. The train hasn't stopped yet, but stopping in the middle of nowhere on a train would be…sub-optimal."

The man nodded and led the way out of the room, down the hall. Suki cast one concerned look back at the sleeping men before she turned and followed Abdul. He summoned Magician's Red once more to light the way, as the two made their way to the door leading to the next car.

Surprising no one, the next passenger car was pitch black.

"Abdul, could you make a light again?"

"I've…been trying," The girl heard the distinct sound of him snapping, followed by a pause, then another snap, before he sighed. Pulling out her flashlight, the girl fumbled with the device before turning the switch on. Yet, for some reason, no light came.

"I know I _felt_ the switch turn on…" Putting a hand to her chin, the girl mused, "Maybe this Stand affects what we see…It's kinda like they just blindfolded us…" Scanning the car, the girl muttered, "I…I can't even see the door to the next car…"

"Here, hold on to me," The fortune teller offered.

"Okay, thanks. Just…let me… find you…" The girl spoke slowly as she crept toward where she had heard the man's voice, moving gently so she wouldn't ram him. She moved her arms in wide circles to try and find him faster, only for one hand to make contact with flesh. Moving her fingers back to where she had experienced the feeling, she poked the flesh experimentally.

"Is this you?"

"That is my cheek, yes."

"Ah! Sorry!" She lightly maneuvered her hand down his chest, her fingers barely skating across. Abdul restrained a small laugh.

 _Is he ticklish?_

Feeling the small hand on his stomach, as she had moved too far down in a panic, the man grasped the girl's hand in his own.

"Ah, _there's_ your hand!"

"I'll lead the way. Just stay close."

"Okay!"

Before she could do so, a man appeared in front of the girl. She was vaguely aware of a dull yank on her arm, as Abdul had stepped forward, expecting the girl to follow. Suki was too enamored by this person. This man was taller than her, with long black hair tied back in a ponytail and deep blue eyes. This person had a face she had been looking for, for far too long, as his lips pulled up in a sincere, soothing smile.

"Suki, what's-" The fortune teller asked, looking about fruitlessly in the darkness for the cause of her lack of movement.

"B-Big Bro…?"

The man turned and walked away, as Suki reached out and, after a moment, let go of Abdul's hand to rush after the figure.

"Suki, wait!"

The girl ran in the darkness after the slowly fading man, running headfirst into a door. Stumbling, the girl rubbed her head as she fumbled with the handle on the door, opening it and finally letting the dull light of the night into the car. Seeing Suki standing in the doorway, Abdul ran to her.

"Suki, you can't just run off like that!"

"Sorry…" She apologized absentmindedly, as she stared wistfully out of the train car door, "I just…I was _sure_ I saw my Big Bro walking to this door. Where did he go…?"

"Why would he be here?"

"That's…a good question…" Shaking her head, the girl looked to the worried man, "Sorry for running off. I'll try not to do that again."

"It's alright, just please be more careful," Abdul said, his brow furrowed in a stern expression. Nodding, Suki opened the door to the next car.

"The lounge… I wonder if you're in here…"

"The Stand user, the engineer, or your brother?"

After a pause, the girl turned to Abdul.

"Yes," Walking forward, she tried using her flashlight again, smiling upon seeing the small bright beacon, "Looks like we're not gonna be blindfolded here."

"Well, don't count your chickens before they hatch," Abdul warned, taking the lead down the hall.

"Heh, chickens…"

Looking back to the girl curiously with a questioning smile, he asked, "Is there something humorous about poultry you know that I don't?"

"Well, uh…" The girl scratched her head as they entered the library, keeping her volume down as they listened for any other voices, "Oh, I'm just gonna come out and ask: is your Stand supposed to be a phoenix or a chicken? I can't tell."

A small pause ensued before Abdul chuckled.

"It's a phoenix, Suki. Are you aware of how they appear in mythology?"

"Ah, right…" The girl remembered, rapping her forehead with her knuckles, "Phoenixes are sun birds, and they rise from ash. Of course, I forgot like a dummy."

"It's-"

Suddenly, the two silenced themselves, as they heard footsteps reach the door to the library. Thinking quickly, Suki shut off her light and grabbed Abdul's hand, guiding him back to the bookshelves, peering out around a shelf. Looking at the entrance, a man in a uniform walked in, scanning the room with his flashlight out.

"I…can't make out his face…" She whispered. The man turned and began to head to the bookshelves. Suki gasped silently as she took her ally's hand again and led him to the secret room she had found earlier that day. Opening the panel quickly and quietly, she coaxed Abdul in before dashing in behind him, locking the door behind herself.

"Why…are we hiding?"

"Call it a hunch," Pressing her ear to the door, Suki listened to the man's heavy feet hit the carpeted floor of the car, until he finally stopped. The girl listened closely, as she felt slight, subtle movements against her back. Choosing to ignore them, figuring Abdul was just searching in his robes for something, she picked up on the voice of the conductor.

" _There_ you are. What were you doing back here? You're supposed to be in the front with me…Look, I understand you want to explore every nook and cranny, but I don't want you to risk getting discovered by the people who are awake. Please, can you just come back to the engine room with me, and stay put?"

 _Is this man…talking with himself? His voice is clearly directed to another person, but I can't open the door to see who it is. We might be discovered._

In the long pause that ensued after the engineer's question, Suki was more aware of how heavy the stuffy feeling in the closet weighed on her. Being in the room by herself had been no problem earlier that day, as she was large in no sense of the word; however, adding one person, especially one of Abdul's size, suddenly made the little hidey-hole much smaller and much more claustrophobic. She felt the temperature of the room rise with every passing second, her air supply slowly feeling like it was dissipating as she just sat there, waiting. The girl became more aware of the changes in Abdul's breathing that had transpired in the silence. She could hear it, deep and heavy, as he stood behind her in the dark closet. Wanting to ask a question, but afraid she would miss something, Suki ignored the urge to ask what was wrong, until, out of the corner of her vision, she saw a flicker of light bounce off the only door. Looking behind her, she saw Abdul gazing upon the ember he had created on his fingers with an expression that Suki had never expected to see grace this man's features.

It was panic.

"Abdul, put that out! Do you _want_ them to find us?" Turning and reaching out, the girl snuffed out the flame with her hand, wincing at the burning sensation. As the light disappeared, she heard the man in front of her take in a shaky breath.

"Is someone there?" Light filtered under the door as the beam from the engineer's flashlight landed just underneath the panel. In the darkness that her eyes had well-adjusted to, Suki saw Abdul's eyes widen ever-so-slightly. The engineer rapped on the panel. Abdul opened his mouth. Whether to speak, shout, or take in a larger breath, Suki decided to take no chances as she lunged at the man and forced her hand over his mouth, pressing her own finger to her lips as a signal to keep quiet. After a moment, the beam of light disappeared, as the engineer spoke soothingly, "It's alright, just be patient."

Suki listened pensively as the sound of footsteps slowly faded. Waiting a few moments, she finally unlocked and opened the panel, rushing out as the man behind her stood stock still, trying to regain his composure. Turning back to Abdul, she gave a small smile.

"It's alright. He left," She spoke gently. A moment passed before Abdul blinked and stepped out of the closet, shutting the door behind him. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he locked eyes with the girl. Expecting the girl to ask a question, she surprised him by nodding and turning, walking back to the entrance of the car to make their way to the engine room. She turned and made a beckoning gesture to the man, after noticing that he had not moved from his spot. After a moment, he nodded and followed, taking the lead in front of her. The only sound that pervaded was the sound of their lonely footsteps, until Abdul asked a question without turning.

"You aren't going to ask about…what happened back there?"

Shaking her head and keeping her eyes forward, the girl responded, "I know fear is something people don't like to talk about."

Holding his head in his hand as they walked, the fortune teller muttered, "I was so sure I had moved past that roadblock. I swore I wouldn't become a liability, but-"

"Nonsense. You're a man with buff fried chicken for a Stand. You're no liability," The girl said with a straight face. The man stopped in front of Suki, as she looked up at him curiously. Suddenly, Abdul tipped his head back and laughed, finding amusement in the sheer absurdity of her statement. The girl giggled upon seeing her success at bringing a smile back to her ally's face. After calming down and clearing his throat, Abdul and Suki exchanged a look, the fortune teller silently thanking her for raising his spirits. Nodding, the two turned and continued to the end of the car, entering the next one.

No impending darkness reached out in the first dining car, like Suki had expected, instead, the middle of the hall was occupied by a singular, small frog. Tilting its head, the amphibian croaked at the visitors.

"Okay, random frog. I'm shaking," Suki deadpanned, as she looked to Abdul, who looked to be utterly calm after the previous room, "Unless…Are you?"

With a chuckle, the man reassured, "Amphibians do not constitute any phobia I may have, fortunately."

After he expressed this statement, another frog crawled out from the table, followed by the entrance of two more on top of one of the other tables further down. A crack of thunder sounded just outside the window, causing both people to jump before breathing a sigh of relief upon the realization of what they had heard.

"It's not raining outside...Unless I'm blind and can't see the water hitting the windows," The girl mumbled, twirling a stray strand of hair. The frogs continued to emerge from unseen nooks and crannies in the floor and walls and among the furniture, croaking at different intervals and beginning to coat the floor.

Suddenly, lightning bolted through an open window, weaving its way through the dark car before landing in one of the frogs. The amphibian subsequently exploded, leaving no trace that it had ever been there. Abdul and Suki exchanged an anxious look before quickly and carefully weaving their way through the army of amphibious creatures, tiptoeing into the microscopic spaces between each green animal. Lightning seemed to follow the two, as it struck each of the frogs they passed, causing each to spontaneously combust. Finally reaching the door, Abdul opened it, allowing Suki out first before he followed.

"So, frogs and lightning? That's certainly…new," Looking to her ally with a smirk, Suki added, "Hopefully it'll just be general weirdness from here on out."

The staff quarters car was empty. In stark contrast to the cars before, the walls and ceilings of the room were a blinding white, as intimidating lights shone down from above. The car was empty of all furniture, save for a table that sat at the end. On that table, a scared little girl was strapped in, completely restrained. The table was accompanied by a small metal cart populated with several dangerous-looking tools. A man wearing scrubs stood in front of the table, his back turned to the two people who had entered, as he snapped the elastic of his rubber gloves in preparation. Suki's eyes widened as the next horrific scene ensued.

The man carefully took up a kitchen knife that sat on the table, raising it up to the light as the blade glinted. The restrained child looked up in horror as the knife came down, slashing her body open like an envelope with a letter opener. She screeched at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her cheeks, as the doctor continued his work, wielding the blade as though her were carving a pumpkin up for Halloween night. Putting the knife down, the girl blubbered and begged for the pain to stop, but the man had hardly even started yet. He picked up a syringe and pushed on the plunger, a small drip of a liquid oozing out of the pointed end. The man flicked the needle, before raising it into the air and shoving it into the girl's body, as she howled in agony. The needle was stabbed into the girl multiple times before the man became aware of his audience. Turning to them slowly, his expression remained placid, seemingly unaware to the blood now caking his smock. Abdul's eyes widened as he turned to his ally, who had thrown her hands up to her mouth and was looking on in terror. Suki's body shivered uncontrollably as she couldn't look away from the scene that was playing out, tears streaming down her cheeks in thick rivers that she couldn't dam.

"Ah, Miss Kanao. Please, have a seat. I'll be with you shortly," At this statement, Suki's legs gave out under her. She hunched her back and wrapped her arms around her torso, her eyes unable to focus as her body shook in violent tremors.

"Suki…?" Abdul asked, reaching out to her. The cowering girl didn't even seem to register that he had spoken, as she looked up upon hearing the child scream out.

" _No! Don't! Please, don't do it!_ "

The doctor had somehow managed to get his hands on a chainsaw, as he started it and pushed the rolling blades into the girl's already-shredded body. Her cries bounced hauntingly off the walls as she writhed against the restraints, her strength giving out as she finally breathed her last, her eyes going empty with lifelessness. The rev of the chainsaw finally silenced as the man turned back to the two at the door. A nurse materialized from the white expanse and held out a hand to the stunned girl kneeling on the floor.

"Miss Kanao, the doctor will see you now."

"N-No…" The girl whimpered quietly, as she held her head in her hands, fisting at her forehead, her hair, anywhere she could get a grip and try to block out what she had just seen and heard.

"Miss Kanao, please, the doctor will see you now."

"I…I won't go…" The girl spoke hoarsely, as her voice slowly rose, "Please, don't make me go…!"

"Miss Kanao, please," The nurse and doctor repeated in unison.

The girl loosed a primal, wordless scream that nearly sounded demonic.

" _I'm not gonna go! You can't make me!_ " She sobbed, covering her face with her hands as she couldn't stop from crying out until she ran out of breath, only to resume at an even higher volume and pitch.

"Suki, it's alright! It's not real!" None of what they had seen that night had been present during the day, but the complete difference in the structure of the car had tipped the fortune teller off as to the true nature of the Stand: that which had an illusory ability.

Abdul rushed to her side, unable to sit by idly and observe the scene any longer. The general air of comfort the girl seemed to carry with her led Abdul to believe that nothing could tear the youth asunder, that she would just stand up and keep walking despite the horror of the scene. And yet, here she was, bawling and screeching like a newborn baby that had been dropped on its head. The man put his arm across her shoulder, but she refused to stand.

"No, let me _go_!"

"Suki, it's me! That man won't lay a finger on you!" Gently shaking her, he moved in front of her, trying desperately to get her to look up, "Please, look at me! It's not real, you're going to be fine!"

"I-I…" Reason seemed to return briefly to Suki, as she ceased her throat-tearing howls in favor of quiet, pitiful sobs and hiccups, as she shivered. Breathing a sigh, Abdul stood up, moving back to Suki's side.

"Here, let me just…" The fortune teller picked the girl up, holding her torso in one arm, his other arm supporting from under her legs. Casting his eyes to the frightened youth, he saw that she still kept her face covered with her hands, but was slowly attempting to steady her shaking breaths. Turning his attention to the area past the operating table, where the door to the next car stood, Abdul slowly walked to the exit, careful not to jostle the girl in his arms too much. As he passed the operating table, the doctor spoke out to him.

"Excuse me, sir, that would be _my_ patient."

Abdul felt Suki curl further into his body upon hearing the calm voice of the operator, as the fortune teller continued toward the door without breaking stride, responding without even turning as he opened the door.

"We will be cancelling that appointment."

The door shut behind him, and the two breathed in the clear night air. Choosing to allow the girl a moment's rest before they continued, noticing her still shaken state, the man sat on the stairs leading to the small exit platform leading from the pair of doors. Abdul attempted to gently place the girl on the stairs beside him, but she curled her arms around his waist, preventing him from moving her.

"Please, can I just…?" The girl bowed her head as a small blush spread across her pale cheeks, "You're…really warm. And I'm really cold…"

Exhaling calmly, the man nodded as he gazed out at the scenery moving quickly past the stairway. He rubbed her arm with his one free hand, attempting to warm the shivering girl faster. Catching on to his intent, she sidled up closer to his chest. After a few moments, the girl spoke up weakly.

"You…smell like home…"

"Pardon?" Abdul asked, looking down at the girl with a curious expression.

"Spices and desert air…Your scent reminds me of home," Looking up, she darted her eyes away as she continued shyly, "Sorry, that…sounded creepy."

Responding with a chuckle, "I wouldn't say that. People just don't tend to discuss their scents with each other."

"I guess," The girl replied, moving out of the man's lap and sitting on the step beside him as he made room. Turning her head to look up at him curiously, "Can I ask what I smell like? Is there anything?" Looking off to the side with a disgusted expression she continued, "Probably sweat or something…"

The man gave a small laugh.

"If you must know, it's chocolate."

Tilting her head, the girl put a finger to her chin in thought.

"I smell like chocolate?"

"I may not be one for sweets, but I could never mistake that aroma."

"Huh," The girl crossed her arms, looking up at the sky, before chuckling to herself.

"What's so funny?" Abdul asked with a gentle smile.

"I feel weird having brought that up. This ended up being a weird conversation, is all," The girl tittered, her voice quiet as she tried to give her throat the break it needed.

"True, but it certainly isn't the oddest conversation I've had with my comrades on this journey so far," The fortune teller expressed with a small laugh.

"Aww, now I'm curious! When this is over, could you tell me about it?"

"Of course, anytime," Abdul replied. After a moment, he stood up, extending a hand to his ally, "We should keep moving. Are you all right to go on?"

Suki gladly accepted his outstretched hand and pulled herself up, supporting herself slightly on the railing. Her eyes went glassy for a moment before she looked up at her partner with a mischievous grin.

"No, I'm half left."

A moment passed, before Abdul covered his mouth with one hand, hiding his smile.

"I find it ironic that you make a joke like that after calling me out for similar behavior earlier."

"What can I say?" The girl turned after scaling the rest of the stairs, rubbing her arm in the same place at which Abdul had tried to warm her up, "I guess you just rubbed off on me."

Shaking his head with a chuckle, Abdul walked up the rest of the stairs, meeting the girl at the top. Smiling at him, she gently wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him into a hug. Surprised at her gesture, he patted her shoulder in a somewhat awkward manner before she pulled back and spoke gently.

"Thank you, Abdul."

A slight blush rose in the man's cheeks as the girl turned back to the door and opened it, walking in first before gesturing back to the man to follow her. Nodding, he did so.

The next room was dark, causing Suki to breathe a sigh of relief, as they strode through the car, past the several shelves and stacked crates and suitcases. Suddenly, the room began to close in, the myriad of boxes pushing themselves toward the two people in the room. Catching on to what was happening, Suki rushed back to Abdul and grabbed his hand, just as the room squeezed to a suffocating size around them. Even with the small amount of light provided by Magician's Red, Suki could see Abdul's eyes were shaking. Moving as much as she could to get in his view, she smiled, never letting go of his hand.

"It's okay. You said yourself, it isn't real."

Taking a deep breath, Abdul nodded, as Suki returned the nod and turned, beginning to squeeze slowly through the claustrophobic space. The man followed close behind.

The boxes had been pushed nearly right up against their bodies, only allowing the two through if they led with their shoulders. As the two continued through the space, the sound of something slithering around caught their attention. Suki could hear Abdul's breathing pick up behind her, but he seemed to be continuing without pause, determined to get to the door. Dangerously close to the end, where the room opened up slightly to allow for people to make it through the door, Suki was once again greeted by the wraith of her brother.

"Little Sis…"

Reaching out to him with her free hand, only to be disappointed by the fact that she couldn't quite reach, she turned to Abdul with a concerned expression.

"It's alright. I…I believe I can make it from here."

Nodding at him slowly, she loosened her grip on his hand, cautiously drifting her fingers away and out of his grasp as she moved the rest of the way to the door. Finally reaching the small open space, she turned to her brother and smiled sincerely, only for him to phase through the door. Suddenly, the white hand from earlier flew in from out of nowhere and grabbed Suki's leg, pulling it out from under her as she fell with a yelp. The slithering sound from earlier grew louder.

"Suki!"

"I'm fine! Keep going!" The girl shouted instinctively, as she scanned her surroundings. Her eyes widened, and she ceased all attempts to stand as her eyes locked with those of a cobra. Stunned, she did nothing as several snakes that had slithered out from the cracks were now winding their way up her legs and her arms. One reptile bared its fangs and hissed in her face. Her expression stayed constant as she stayed perfectly still.

"Magician's Red!"

Abdul summoned his Stand and incinerated every last snake threatening to make prey out of the girl on the floor. He maneuvered his way out of the tiny space and extended a hand to Suki, who accepted it gladly. Asking a silent question as to her current condition, Suki responded with a look of realization in her eye.

"I think I may have figured something out about the enemy Stand user."

"What would that be?"

"Well, the key word is 'may.' I wanna see if my hunch is right."

With that, the two slid open the door and moved to the engine car.

Aside from the sounds of the engine functioning, the room was silent save for the sound of footsteps landing on metal. Abdul and Suki made their way to the engine controls, where a single man in a train engineer's uniform stood with his back to them. Upon hearing the close of the door, the engineer turned and greeted his visitors with an eerie smile. On closer inspection, the man had long black hair and pale skin, with deep, sunken purple eyes.

"So, you finally made it. I guess you _are_ brave enough to best your fears in pursuit of your desires."

As Abdul prepared to accuse the conductor of being the enemy Stand user, Suki stepped forward and asked a question.

"Where is your partner?"

"Come again?" The engineer asked, tilting his head, yet never losing that grin.

"You have a partner. Where are they hiding?"

"That is the hunch you had?" Abdul asked from behind. The girl nodded.

"I have reason to believe you weren't working alone," Folding her arms, she supported an arm, which she used to bring her fist to her chin, adopting a thoughtful pose, "The Stand user we've been working to find creates illusions. Not an uncommon ability among the Stand users I have seen; however, this Stand has a catch. It only creates illusions for _one_ of the senses. I must be honest, I'm the type to get hung up on details, but I had been too flustered by all of the happenings _before_ we got to the storage car to make sense of anything I saw or heard. So, I guess I must give you credit where it's due.

"Only after coming into contact with the snakes did I begin to put the puzzle pieces into place. You had been careful not to make direct contact with our bodies, up until you thought I would be too shaken to notice that I couldn't actually _feel_ the snakes crawling up my body. But that isn't what tipped me off to the existence of multiple Stands. One of your pets had the gall to hiss in my face; however, the sound of the animal and the sight of what it was doing did _not_ match completely. Retroactively, I remembered that the frogs' croaks didn't line up either, and that there had been no flash of lightning to accompany the crack of thunder," Lowering her arms, she brought one arm back up and pointed at the engineer, "So, I ask again, _where's_ _your_ _partner_?"

The engineer thought for a moment before laughing.

"Clever girl."

"I'm not done yet. I have a question."

Raising his eyebrows, the man gestured for the girl to continue.

"My friends and I are used to seeing enemy Stand users enlisted by Dio, who want us dead. If you wanted us dead, you could have easily moved to take out our allies while they slept, before we even tried to look for you. You also could have shown the two of us something that would force us to jump off the train. If that didn't kill us, it _would_ separate us from our allies. My question is, what do you want from us?"

The engineer's grin finally disappeared, replaced with slightly agape shock.

"Wait, you…you _don't_ work for Dio?"

Abdul piped up from behind Suki.

"Surely you must've noticed the two Joestars with us? The six of us are all allies."

"I…" Surprisingly, the conductor seemed dumbstruck, "I was so sure…I was so sure that you were a group of mercenaries, hired or controlled by Dio, to capture the Joestars, and were planning to turn on them," The engineer looked away, as the fists by his sides shook, "The Joestars, they're…they're the only hope we have of defeating Dio."

Taking pity on the clearly confused conductor, Suki took the opportunity to ask gently.

"Who is we?"

Shifting his attention back to the two people in front of him, the engineer sighed.

"I…I apologize. I misunderstood. Please, allow me to explain," Taking a breath, he bowed to his visitors.

"I am Curt Kobain. It is a pleasure…A pleasure to meet those who are going to destroy Dio."

Turning his head from side to side, he spoke in a coaxing tone.

"It's alright to come out now. Please, allow me to introduce you to these people."

Suddenly, two spirits came into view at Curt's side. The one on his right was a healthy man who looked to be in his twenties, with a black buzz cut and a tank top with shorts. The wraith on his left was a stern youth who looked to be of college age, with a black mullet and a clean school uniform.

Pointing to his left, Curt addressed the younger of the two, "This is Dagro."

Pointing to his right, he addressed the older, "And this is Kristovo."

Taking a look at all three men on the other side of the room, Suki and Abdul both noticed a connection between the three. They all shared the same purple eyes and black hair.

"These are…my brothers," Swallowing, the man took a breath and began to tell his tale.

"My family and I…We all had different interests, leading us in different directions. Dagro wanted to become an actor, Kristovo wanted to be in the military. While I…I wanted to become a train engineer. I finally passed the exam, and I was accepted to drive the train I had only ever dreamed about: the Roundabout. My family, despite our differing interests, was going to ride from home, to where I was stationed to pick up the retiring engineer's job. As the Roundabout pulled into the station, I waited anxiously for my family to disembark. They…never did. I asked the staff what had happened to them, and they said they had been on the train, alive and well, up until the night before. After that, they had just…vanished," Curt sighed, "Unbeknownst to me at the time, and my family when they boarded that vehicle, on that train…was a man by the name of Dio.

"It was too late for me to back out of driving this train; I had to pick up after the retiring engineer. So, for all I knew, I was being forced to operate the train that had killed my family; however, that night, as I slumped over the controls, unable to drink my troubles away…I heard a voice. I couldn't leave the controls, so I just sat there as the voice only grew louder. Finally, after it sounded like the voice was right beside me, I turned and saw Dagro, standing beside me, giving me a stern look. I was expecting him to give me a sarcastic remark, how he would always cheer me up, but…he didn't say anything. A few moments later, he disappeared, and came back with Kristovo, who gave me a big, dopey smile like he always would when I felt sad; however, he didn't say anything either.

"I was about to give up on talking to them, dismiss them as wishful dreams…But then, they began to talk to me. They never opened their mouths, and I wondered why, until they finally told me what had happened on that night. That night…I don't know how they managed to make Dio so angry but…he…he…he ripped out their vocal chords. He ripped them out of all of my brothers and left them for dead. Even they don't know where their bodies are. All they know is that they were killed, and that our parents had vanished with that monster.

"I knew… I knew I had to do _something_ to bring that monster down. It was on that night that I vowed to recruit as many of Dio's followers as I could to the side of good. Whether they had been hypnotized or hired, what they truly desired always rested at the forefronts of their minds. I never much liked using my Stand before I set out with this goal, but it has proved incredibly useful to me. Nevermind allows me to reach into people's psyches and pick out their desires, as well as their fears.

"Dagro's Bleach and Kristovo's All Acoustically work in tandem: All Acoustically supplies the sounds, Bleach provides the sights. In addition, they also both make sure that no uninvolved people become…involved. All Acoustically plays a tune in the cars' radio systems that encourages listeners to go to sleep, while Bleach keeps them asleep by any means necessary, loosening its hold on those I'm trying to turn back," Folding his arms, Curt continued, "If any followers who ride this train are able to best their fears to get to what they desire, then I can see hope in turning them. At that point, I try my best to bring them over to my side."

"Wait, back up," Suki brought her hands out in a gesture to stop, "Your brothers have Stands, even though they're dead?"

"I was just as disbelieving as you were, for the longest time. However…" Summoning Nevermind, the man looked to his Stand. This spirit wore a green robe with a flared white collar and had red skin, with a high ponytail that had a shape resembling a fan. The Stand observed the two visitors with its calm, stick-shaped eyes before nodding to them, "The more time I spent with Nevermind and my brothers on this train, the more I learned just how strong the human will is. Strong enough to linger after death, and affect all life with its ripples."

Abdul spoke up with his own question.

"What if you fail in recruiting them?"

"Well, I _have_ failed. Many a time," Curt slumped his shoulders as he remembered, "Even with my brothers by my side, helping the minions who were afflicted with flesh buds…did not always end well. Some lackeys have remained steadfast in their devotion to Dio, even without the assistance of a flesh bud. That…is where my third brother comes in."  
"You have…more than two brothers?" Suki asked, tilting her head.

"I do. He's quite shy, though, so he tends to hide," Putting his hands together in apology, he expressed, "I must also apologize for his actions earlier. He…doesn't quite understand the world well enough to refrain from running around and doing as he pleases. The attacks with the white hand you experienced were his doing, as that is a secondary ability of his Stand, Ever Minded."

"Is that why you came to the library car? To find him?" Suki queried.

"Yes. Thankfully, I've used my Stand enough that I can use it to keep an eye on the controls if I need to take care of something pressing somewhere else in the vehicle," Turning to the wall of controls, he spoke soothingly to the wall, "Come on out, little one. They won't bite, I promise."

After a moment, a much smaller ghost phased through the wall. As the wraith came into view, Abdul's eyes widened, as Suki placed a hand over her mouth, her eyes wavering.

 _He's…He's just a kid…_

This one had frightened purple eyes, and wore his black hair in a bowl cut, and looked to be no more than five years old. All he wore were pajamas that seemed way too big for him, as he stumbled over to his big brother, reaching his arms out, asking without speaking to be picked up. Giving a small, sad chuckle, Curt accepted and picked him up as best he could, despite his ghostly condition.

"This is my youngest brother, Nirvan. His Stand has the ability to twist people's memories," Looking at his baby brother with a gentle smile, he explained, "I can tell when people are lying. Whether that's another ability of my Stand or not is still a mystery. But, if the person doesn't agree, or pretends to agree, Nirvan can affect their memories. Memories of Dio are too strong for him to wipe, I've discovered, but encounters with any of us are within his capabilities."

"I see…And if they die or disappear, the boy can remove memories from the minds of the staff and other involved parties that concern that person…" Abdul thought aloud. Curt nodded.

"That's right."

"Curt, I have another question," Suki chimed in.

"Go ahead," The engineer allowed, despite his tired eyes.

"What was your plan for us? You only got two of us awake…"

"You two were already out of range of All Acoustically: you wouldn't be able to hear the radio outside the car. I didn't have time to lure the other two people in your group who weren't Joestars outside so they wouldn't hear the song. I figured that I could turn you two, and then send you back to the party to try and negotiate with the others."

The girl sighed.

"Even if you've been turning Dio's followers against him, aren't you worried that he'll catch on to what's happening?"

It was Curt's turn to sigh, as he looked up with an exhausted smile.

"Honestly, no. I…don't really care what he does to me. I just want to do what I can to let my brothers rest in peace. That's all I want," The man then closed his eyes, as though about to fall asleep, "That's it."

A moment of tense silence passed, weighing down on everyone in the room. Finally, Suki broke the silence.

"You weren't wrong about me working for Dio. For a few months, I did, because he feels like he owns my family just because of the blood that runs through our veins. I saw the atrocities he would commit firsthand. Not women, not children, not even animals were spared by him. I…I started this journey with finding my brother at the forefront of my mind. But…Regardless of if I find him or not…" Swallowing thickly, she continued, "Regardless of if he's _alive_ or not…As much as I want the best for my family…I'm not the only one who wants that. You…You taught me that," Taking a step forward and placing a hand over her chest, Suki made her determination clear as day.

"I'm going to fight so people like you never have to live in fear and sorrow. No," She turned to Abdul and nodded before turning back, "My friends and I… _We're_ going to fight for that reason."

Curt's mouth sat agape for a few moments, before a shaky grin turned up his lips, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks.

"Thank you…Thank you so much…!"

The three ghosts nodded to the two with smiles on their faces, expressing their own gratitude. Wiping his eyes, Curt spoke up.

"I apologize again for taking up your night like this. I understand that you have a long journey ahead."

The two nodded.

"We do."

"If there's anything I can do for you, you need only ask!"

Suki crossed her arms in thought. _Good question..._ Do _I need anything?_ Catching her fist in her palm in realization, she spoke up.

"Well, actually..." Suki walked over to Curt and leaned up to his ear, covering her mouth from the side as she murmured her request in his ear. The man raised his eyebrows in intrigue, before turning to the girl with confused eyes. She nodded, and Curt's expression grew serious in response.

"That can be arranged. I wish you both the best of luck!"

* * *

"So, what exactly _did_ you ask him for?" Abdul asked, as they made their way back to the cabins. They had stopped at the library at Suki's behest, and yet she refused to let her ally follow her as she procured what she wanted from the shelves.

"Just...some audio tapes...and some study materials," The girl responded, scratching her cheek.

"Ah, right, I do remember Kakyoin mentioning that you were going to study together,"

"Yeah...That's why I asked for a dictionary..." Suki agreed.

As the two walked back from the library, the sun was just peeking over the horizon.

"Man…Morning, already?"

"Morning already," Abdul affirmed.

"I…really hope we can get _some_ sleep before we disembark and get on that boat…"

The man nodded. After a moment, he spoke up.

"Thank you. For earlier."

"Huh? I didn't do anything, though…" Suki scratched her cheek, looking off in a different direction, "If anything, _I_ should be thanking _you_. You _are_ the one who helped me after I had a panic attack, after all."

"Is that not what you did for me?"

"Well, I tried to help, but you didn't need nearly as much help as I did!"

Shaking his head, Abdul responded, "I'm beginning to understand…"

"Understand what?" Suki asked, looking at the man curiously.

"How much you undervalue your abilities."

Taking a breath, Suki looked out the window of the car they had just entered.

"It's not undervaluing if you _are_ weak."

"Suki," Abdul spoke sternly, catching the girl's attention as they had stopped just outside the car where their cabins were. He sighed and looked into her eyes as he spoke.

"Your abilities are strong and so is your resolve. _You_ are strong. And I know that I am not the only one in our group who thinks that way. You are a valuable member of our group, just like everyone else. Please, don't forget that."

The girl let her eyes meander to the ground, as she stared at her boots. Abdul took her by the shoulders, forcing her to look up into his eyes.

"Listen to me. I can see this is difficult for you to understand, and that's alright. We will help you learn to understand. Alright?"

Suki's eyes wavered slightly before she nodded, a smile widening her mouth.

"Alright."

Smirking, Abdul spoke again.

"Don't you mean 'half-left'?"

Rolling her eyes playfully and giggling, the girl turned and opened the door to the cabins, waving at her friend before she disappeared into the room she shared with Kakyoin. Sparing no moment to even dress herself for bed, Suki lay down on her bed and allowed her eyes to close, not even bothering to wrap herself in the covers.

The heat still lingered.

* * *

Chapter Five – Broken Train

-END-

|To Be Continued|\|/

* * *

 **Non-canonically claustrophobic Abdul. That is all.**

 **...Okay, not actually. I thought I would update my story a few hours earlier than usual, to make up for last week. Hope you guys don't mind the longer-than usual chapter, and I hope you all have been enjoying the story so far! Until next week!** **-BlueBow**


	7. Chapter 6 - Hit Him with Your Best Shot

**WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by another warning right beforehand, and another line right where the explicit scene ends. You have been warned.**

 **Ugh, late once more. :/**

 **Hopefully, this will not be a running trend, and I made sure that today I would post two chapters. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Okay, done!" Suki exclaimed, smacking the table with her open palms.

"Good! Let me see, then…" Kakyoin said, putting his book down on a side table and coming over from where he was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. The student sat down on the couch beside the girl and picked up the picture-to-words practice test he had administered and scanned it, flipping a page every minute or so. The only sound that was heard in those few minutes was the sway of their boat on the sea and the occasional shuffle of paper.

"Suki, how much English did you say you had studied? Reading and writing-wise, I mean."

"Hmm, really only bits and pieces. I know what the English alphabet looks like, and what sound each of the letters makes…" Slumping her shoulders, she scratched the back of her neck embarrassedly, "Not that great, huh?"

"On the contrary, for a person who doesn't call an English-speaking country home, this is quite good."

"R-Really?" Suki asked, sitting up straight and looking at her work with her tutor.

"Really. For example, here," He pointed to the picture of an apple, then to the word she wrote directly under it, "For the word 'apple,' you wrote A, P, P, E, L. Or here," The student pointed to the picture of the sky, "For this one, you wrote S, K, I," Kakyoin looked to his student with a glint in his eye, "You seem to have an understanding of how the English language _sounds_ , now we just need to apply that knowledge to how it _looks_."

"Okay, but where do we go from there?"

"How much do you know about paired letter sounds?"

"Paired letters? Oh, kind of like with the word 'sky' there, right?"

"Exactly. Much as I don't want to state the obvious, letters make different sounds when you put them together to form a word than when you leave them on your own. For example," Kakyoin brought out a piece of paper and laid it in front of the girl. She picked her pencil up from the table and scooted forward on the couch to lean over to write. Suki then looked at her tutor expectantly, "Try writing out a word that wasn't on the exam: 'cherry.'"

"Cherry…" Suki murmured to herself. Being so close, Kakyoin could see the cogs in her brain turning, as she spoke the word silently a few times, noting down a letter as she slowly sounded out the word. She had written down "C, H, E, R," before she stopped and scratched her head.

"Teacher, question?" She asked, raising her hand. Chuckling, Kakyoin gestured for her to lower her hand and continue,

"You were talking about letter pairs before, and how they make different sounds… The 'r' sound in 'cherry' sounds different from the one in 'tree' or 'bird.' It sounds like…there's more than one 'r.'"

"That's because there is."

Suki's eyes lit up, as she finished the word by writing "R, Y" and placed her pencil down gently to the side.

"Very good," The student praised, a smile turning up his lips, "Consonants aren't the only letters that can be paired, though. Vowels can be paired up to make different sounds as well."

"Really? That sounds…kind of complicated."

"It really isn't! You see, if we start like this…"

* * *

The two took a break for the night after spending most of the day on the boat studying. By the time Suki walked out to the deck, the sky was painted orange with the glow of the evening sun. She stretched as she took in the sights of the open sea, before turning her attention to the silver-haired man standing alone at the bow.

"Hey there, stranger," Suki said with a cheeky grin as she walked up beside him. Her grin faded as she took a closer look at Polnareff's face. His expression seemed completely out of character, from what she had seen of the man so far. He seemed to have all of his energy and senses pointed on one single point: the trajectory of the boat. His eyes were narrow and determined. Suki glanced to the side, following his gaze, but was confused upon seeing nothing there. The man turned to her after a moment, unaware that she had seen his previous expression.

"Day been treating you well, Suki?" He asked, turning from the railing to the girl.

"Pretty well, thanks," In all honesty, the girl had desperately been trying to hide just how dead-tired she was from the night before. She had only managed to get two hours of sleep, before she was woken up for breakfast before they disembarked from the train and got onto the boat for the rest of the trip to India. But no way was she going to let a little bit of sleep deprivation interfere with her life at this moment. Suki silently vowed to go to sleep earlier that night, as her expression grew concerned, "How about you? You looked a little…angry."

"Oh, I did?" Polnareff turned back to the sea in front of him, grasping the railing, "I was just thinking…" His grip grew white-knuckled as he spat his next words, "How soon it's gonna be before I can send that J. Geil to hell."

Suki rubbed her elbow and tilted her head, unsure if she wanted to divulge the rest of the message Yellow Temperance had had about The Hanged Man.

"Something bothering you?" Polnareff asked without even looking at her. She bit her lip, and then responded.

"Yellow Temperance said… He said, that even though he hadn't seen J. Geil's Stand, you wouldn't stand a chance…He said that you would die…"

Polnareff was struck by these words. After a moment, he spoke up.

"Just how valid is this guy's word, if he hasn't even seen the Stand?"

"I…uh…well…"

"Listen up," the Frenchman ordered, turning back to Suki and putting his hands on her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes, "I've been training like mad for the past three years. If I'm gonna die, I'm at least gonna take that bastard down with me."

"But, I don't want you to die!"

The man's eyes widened.

"None of us do…" Suki placed her hands over his, looking up at him with a determined gaze, "I never knew your sister, but I _do_ know this. If I were to die, I would want my brother to _live_."

"But she…I…" Polnareff looked away.

"I remember, you said she was shamed first, then killed," The man nodded stiffly, "Again, I can't speak for her, but I know if it were me, no matter how much I went through, I would _never_ want it to reach my brother and take his life away. I wouldn't want that for my brother, and I don't want that for you, either, Polnareff."

Polnareff blushed and darted his eyes away to another point, further to the right. About to say something on impulse, he finally took notice of the tight bundles of muscles under his hands. Experimentally, he squeezed one of the girl's shoulders.

"Eeep!" She squeaked, jolting up at his action. Realizing the inane noise she had made, she covered her mouth as a red tinge splashed across her cheeks.

"Mon Dieu, you're so _tense_!" Polnareff leaned forward and raised an eyebrow, a playful grin on his face, "Was someone lying to me about their day?"

"Uh, heheh, I just…didn't sleep too well…" Suki spoke shyly, lying through her teeth.

 _The less people who know about what happened last night, the better. Not that they'd believe us in the first place,_ she thought.

"Well, that massage is still on the table, if you're interested?"

The girl nodded with a giggle.

"Sure!"

The two decided to sit on a bench on the deck, as Polnareff went to work on loosening the body of the girl in front of him.

"This might feel a little weird at first, but just relax."

Suki nodded at the instruction. After a moment, she felt a strange pressure on her back, pressing into her in an unfamiliar way. Taking the words of her masseur to heart, she relaxed. As soon as she did, she began to feel knots she hadn't even been aware existed slowly loosening and unraveling underneath her skin.

"Ahhhh, that feels good…" She sighed, smiling dopily.

"Ah, I haven't even started yet, ma Cherie!" Polnareff boasted, kneading small circles into her back with his thumbs.

"I've been wondering…" Suki spoke quietly, wondering if she would ruin his concentration if she spoke louder, "I don't know any French. What does 'ma Cherie' mean?"

"My dear."

"My dear… what?"

"No, 'my dear' like 'Thank you, my dear.'"

"Oh, I see! That's pretty!" Grinning impishly, she continued, "I bet you use that term on all the girls, don't you?"

"Well, only the _really_ pretty ones…" He mumbled, nearly smacking himself for saying that out loud, but it didn't appear as though the girl had heard him, too lost in the magic he was working with his hands.

"Your brother…He means a lot to you, huh?"

The girl didn't respond.

"Is that a no?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, of course he does!"

"What's the matter?"

"Well…" Suki leaned back slightly, her back landing against his chest, as he continued to work despite the now obvious distraction, "I still love him, of course, and he still means the world to me."

"But…?"

"But…" The girl took out the little star music box and held it out, turning it over in her hands, "I'm not sure anymore…If I should've accepted his proposal."

At this, Polnareff stopped.

"Wait, he _proposed_ to you?"

"Y-Yeah…" Suki scratched her cheek, "I said 'yes' when he did, but, looking back it seems so…impulsive. The last thing I want is to make him sad, but, I've been learning so much lately, about what it means to have a relationship with another person. Being allies, being friends…maybe even being more than that," The last words of her sentence came out faster than her previous speech, as she became flustered, "The point is that I'm not so sure…That he's _the one_ anymore…" She tilted her head back to look at the man behind her, "You know what I mean?"

As the girl looked back, she saw something knocking around in the man's head, begging to be released, as he stared back into her eyes with a conflicted expression. Suki scooted forward and turned so she could look at him head-on.

"Polnareff?"

The Frenchman appeared to think for a moment before sighing and meeting the girl's gaze.

"Suki, do you… like anyone, romantically?"

The girl blushed, before letting her eyes meander about, thinking the question through.

"Romantically, huh?" Suki continued to ponder for a few moments more before she shook her head, "Not at the moment. Why?"

Just as Polnareff was about to answer, the door to the deck opened. Turning to the door, both saw Abdul walk out.

"Ah, my apologies. Did I interrupt something?"

"Uhm, no, I don't think so," Suki tilted her head and folded her arms. She then turned to Polnareff, "Did he?"

"Nope. I was just curious," The Frenchman huffed, his tone having completely shifted. Standing up and stretching, he walked towards the door, "Anyway, I think I've gotten enough fresh air for one evening. See you later, Suki."

"Yeah, see ya…" Suki replied, somewhat sadly. With that, Polnareff disappeared into the ship, leaving Abdul and Suki alone. The fortune teller stared at the door concernedly, having watched the Frenchman's clearly irritated exit.

"Are you certain I didn't interrupt anything?" He asked as he approached the bench.

"I don't think so…" Abdul sat in front of the bench with his legs crossed, as the girl on the bench next to him placed a finger on her chin, "He just got finished asking if I liked anyone romantically. I mean, I used to watch a lot of romantic comedies with my mom, and asking a girl if they like _anyone_ is a typical lead-in for the guy to confess his own feelings. But what could he see in _me_ …? I'm not-"

"Suki," The girl was caught off-guard by Abdul's suddenly stern tone. After a moment, he looked up at her with a gentle smile, "What did we talk about not doing?"

Suki sighed as she scooted off the bench onto the ground to sit by Abdul.

"Undervaluing myself? But we were only talking about strength!"

"I only mentioned strength because I believed it to be the only trait you undervalued. Now I see that I was wrong, so I will tell you the following," Folding his arms and looking straight at Suki, he asserted, "You are an attractive young lady, in multiple respects."

A blush lit up the girl's face like a stovetop, causing her to turn away and put her hands on her cheeks.

"I'm guessing subtlety isn't your strong suit…?"

"I find I cannot get my point across as effectively if I beat around the bush."

"Heh, that's fair," The girl admitted, putting her arms behind her head as she gazed at the slowly darkening sky.

The two sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, before Suki spoke up.

"Did you and Polnareff have a fight?"

"No, why?" Abdul looked at the girl with a quirked eyebrow.

"You just don't seem to get along that well. Well, more like…Polnareff doesn't seem to want anything to do with you," Twisting a strand of hair in her fingers as she thought, she mused, "He's not as jovial with you as he is with the rest of the group, and, just now, his mood seemed to do a complete one-eighty when you walked out. Do you have any clue why?"

Abdul sighed before responding, looking into the distance past the railing.

"That man…He has very strong values. His strongest by far is his honor as a warrior. Always ensuring that he and his opponent fight on equal ground. Never attacking from behind. And, above all else, never running from a fight. I am unsure if he has caught wind of this, but I encountered Dio, and fled," Putting a hand to his chin, he thought aloud, "No. I am almost certain he knows of this. I admire how much faith he puts in his values, but, at the same time, I become increasingly worried that those same values will get him killed."

"Hmm…" Adopting Abdul's pose, Suki crossed her legs and folded her arms, thinking with closed eyes. After a moment, she looked at the man beside her with a curious expression.

"Hey, Abdul, do you like Polnareff?"

The fortune teller quirked an eyebrow at this.

"An odd question," The man thought for a moment, folding his arms, "Well, he is certainly an entertaining man," An almost imperceptible smile turned up his lips as he continued, "I do find value in the compassion he presents to you all, as well."

"Anything…romantic…?"

"Suki, that's a very personal question," Abdul replied firmly.

"Ah, sorry…"

A moment passed.

"So, do you…?"

"Suki, I told you not even one minute ago that that question is beyond what I feel comfortable answering."

"I'm sorry!" Suki scratched the back of her neck and grinned sheepishly, "I just wanna help you two make up!"

"Is it not possible for us to make up and just be friends?"

"Well, yeah, that's possible," Suki turned her head to the side and pouted, "But, if the opportunity for something special is there, why not take it?"

Abdul looked up at the clouds, wondering how she became so invested in relationships such as the type she was implicating.

 _Public homosexual acts are illegal in Egypt. Given her previous oblivious nature to sexual relations of any kind, the only conceivable way she could have known about these kinds of relationships is if she had family members who performed such acts at home, which seems unlikely,_ the fortune teller thought, _Unless…_

"Suki, those…study materials you borrowed," Abdul shot the girl an accusing look as he claimed, "They wouldn't happen to include homoerotic literature, would they?"

Suki's eyes widened as she stared at Abdul, pursing her lips. The girl was sure that she had never experienced a more humiliating moment in her life.

 _Oh God, how does he know? How does he know? How does he know? How does-_

Abdul laughed, letting his head tip back, before putting his hand on the thoroughly embarrassed girl's shoulder in a gesture of reassurance.

"You don't have to be ashamed, Suki. We're both adults. It's perfectly fine to have an interest in that kind of subject."

 _Honestly, I should have seen this kind of behavior coming,_ Abdul thought, remembering the one part of the palm reading that she never learned, _the sheer amount of horizontal lines between and below her middle and ring fingers denotes a love of physical and sensual pleasures, as well as a very high sex drive. It could very well just be her previously inactive hormones kicking in, or it might be a part of her that never awakened until now. The beauty of fortune-telling is that it reveals just how truly complex people's souls are. There are still mysteries to be solved in any individual, regardless of how much digging is done, but, at least a good portion of the pieces can be placed into a puzzle._

"I mean, I guess, but it's still embarrassing!" Blushing, the girl continued, "Do adults typically talk about their sexual relations with other people?"

"It certainly is not a common occurrence."

The girl chuckled.

"I guess we can just mark that down as another weird conversation?"

"It still is not the oddest."

"You still…" Suki yawned and stretched, falling sideways and landing gently with her head on Abdul's shoulder, "Have to tell me about that sometime…"

The man was startled at this behavior, before relaxing. Abdul chose not to initiate any contact, as Suki groggily tried to keep her eyes open.

"It looks like last night is finally catching up with you."

The girl nodded sleepily, slowly letting her eyes flutter shut. Abdul turned his attention back to the horizon, feeling as though he were about to fall asleep as well, before he heard a small voice calling his name. He looked to his side, noticing that Suki had cuddled up closer and was holding onto his arm.

"Abdul…You're… a really cool guy…Thank you…for being…so nice…" The girl fell silent after that, the only sound coming from her being her light breathing through her nose. Abdul's mouth turned up in a sincere smile, as he brushed the hair out of her sleeping face before turning back to look at the sky. Unbeknownst to the two tired individuals, a third person had been standing by the door as their conversation concluded, his blue irises shaking in the darkness.

A distant memory began to play in Suki's mind, as the clutches of sleep firmly grasped her.

* * *

"Come on, one more time!" Kyuu taunted.

"Okay!"

Training had gone well that day. Suki's ability to wield a variety of weapons was steadily improving, but she wanted to make sure her skills in hand-to-hand were not neglected. Once more, she rushed at her training partner, aiming to send a right hook into his jaw; however, her brother surprised her by pulling out a knife. Her eyes widened as she skidded to a stop.

"Big Bro, what-"

"Sometimes your opponent will have a weapon when you don't. Don't lose focus!" He commanded, as he swung at her left side. His sister appeared to lose her previous aggressive nature, as she focused solely on dodging. Seeing this, he shouted, "Fight like your life depended on it!"

After a moment, Suki nodded with renewed determination, as she created a water sword from her canteen and dodged under an overhead swipe that, in retrospect, was already too high to hit her. As she dodged, Kyuu kicked up a cloud of dirt, causing Suki to shut her eyes as they stung. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, she wildly swung the weapon in her hand, making contact with her brother's head. The blow forced him to fall onto his side, his eyes wide. He blinked as Suki caught her breath and opened her eyes carefully, shaking his head and holding it in one hand.

"Jeez, Sis. You really need to keep those impulses in check. You can't just swing wildly and expect to win, though, you would've been extremely lucky with what just happened, if I were an enemy."

Seeing her brother hold her head, she dared ask.

"Did…Did I hit your head?"

"Yeah."

"Kyuu, if that were a real sword, I could've…!"

"But it wasn't, was it? Your Stand can't take lives. We both know that."

After a moment, Suki spoke up again.

"You sure you're okay?"

"My head's a little rattled, and it hurts, but I'm fine. The force of the attack just pushed me," Kyuu made eye contact with the child as he spoke his next words, "I meant what I said, though. No matter how serious or calm the situation is, you _need_ to keep a level head. You aren't doing anyone any favors otherwise, alright?"

Suki took a moment to process his words before nodding.

"Okay."

"Now, let's get you patched up."

With that, a swarm of bees phased into existence behind Kyuu, as they flew in closer to Suki. She flinched as they approached.

"Hey, relax. A Taste of Honey won't heal you if you freak out like that."

"Mrgh…I hate bugs, you know that, Kyuu!"

"Bugs are everywhere, Suki. You might as well get used to them while you're young."

The girl exhaled a sigh as the insects crawled over her cuts and bruises, spreading honey wherever they skittered. As the golden gel seeped into her skin, the pain of her injuries gradually quieted into dull pangs. After Suki's wounds had faded, Kyuu set to work healing himself.

"Man, I sure wish Knight could heal people, too. That'd be really useful," At this comment, Knight of Cups appeared next to her user, a stern expression on her face as she put her hands on her hips.

"Tch. At least you have a Stand that can attack. I wish I could do more with Honey," The bees seemed to buzz even louder as Kyuu called them back, pushing himself to his feet as he extended a hand to his sister, "Either way, neither of our Stands is particularly geared towards battle. They have their uses, but we have to be prepared for anything, if we want to fight for the greater good."

With a smile, Suki took her brother's hand.

"Right. I'll be counting on you!"

"Same to you, Sis."

* * *

"Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore…And now we're about to cross India…" Joseph mused, as he scratched his chin, "But, well, I'm a little worried. My image of India is a place where people only eat curry and you could fall ill at any time."

At that moment, the boat was just emerging from a fog, pulling up to the port of Calcutta, the next stop on the Stardust Crusaders' journey to Egypt. The group stood by the door leading to the ramp, all carrying somewhat anxious expressions, save for Jotaro, who barely showed emotion anyway, and Abdul, who seemed to be in a pleasant mood.

"I'm worried that my body may not be able to handle the culture gap," Polnareff spoke up, holding on to his bag as though it were a lifeline.

Suki clenched her fists and brought them up to her waist.

"Well, my body is ready! It's so ready, it can make other people ready! So, don't you worry!" Suki looked to Polnareff expectantly, hoping for a reaction.

"Oh, okay. Thanks."

Suki's expression drooped slightly as she turned back to the door.

 _He's sure been acting different this morning..._ Suki wondered, _Did I say something last night to tick him off?_

With a chuckle, Abdul reassured the group.

"Such assessments are rather distorted. You needn't worry. It's a nice country, where simple people live. I can guarantee it."

At that moment, the boat docked. Abdul opened the door onto the ramp.

"Well, we're in Calcutta. Let's go."

The group nodded and began to disembark, with Suki pulling up the rear behind Abdul. As a crowd of people began to gather at the end of the ramp, the girl suddenly remembered a very important tip from her mother

One that would cripple her visit beyond all compare.

* * *

"Mama, can we go on vacation?" Suki asked, walking up to the counter of the kitchen. Her mother looked up with a quirked eyebrow.

"This is sudden. What brought this on?" Ms. Kanao asked, as she turned to keep an eye on the beef simmering in the pot on the stove, and the udon noodles cooking in the next pot over.

"Minaj gets to go to Singapore all the time. I thought maybe we could take a trip somewhere, is all."

"Somewhere other than Morioh, dear?"

"Yeah! Don't get me wrong, Morioh is great, but I wanna see other places, too!"

"Oh, honey, you know the only place that beats Morioh is right here," Ms. Kanao boasted, taking the udon off the stove. She then took a spoon and began to fill the three bowls she had placed on the counter. Suki looked over and instinctively licked her lips, excited for what was to come. Seeing this, the mother chuckled.

"Be patient. Good things come to those who wait."

The girl sighed.

"I know, Mama. And I know the only place that beats Morioh is here, but isn't it normal to want for a little variety?"

"Of course, dear," After a moment of thought, Ms. Kanao nodded, "I'd have to check, but perhaps we could go during the summer."

"Really?!"

"Like I said, dear, I have to check. Where were you thinking of going?"

"Well…Singapore, we could try. Minaj says that its beautiful there."

"Alright, we can consider going there."

"I've heard a lot about France."

"France is a no-go," Ms. Kanao stopped chopping vegetables to raise her knife, punctuating her point, "The air is muggy, not to mention everyone is an asshole."

"Okay, then…" Suki dismissed, leaning on the counter, "Maybe India?"

"India? Oh, no, no, no, we're not going there."

"Huh? I've heard you diss France before, but what's wrong with India?"

"Nothing's wrong with India, I'm just not sure you'd survive there," The mother returned to cutting the veggies.

"Survive…?"

Sighing, the older woman put her knife down on the cutting board before leaning toward her daughter, supporting herself by placing both hands on either side of the block of wood.

"Calcutta _alone_ has a population of eleven million people. A country with that many people running about like chickens with their heads cut off, because that's how people are, would eat a young girl like you alive."

"E-Eat me?!"

"That place would swallow you up and leave no trace. You're better off _anywhere_ else, believe me."

A tense silence pursued the exchange. Finally, Suki spoke up.

"H-How about the United States?"

"Oh, now _that's_ a vacation I could get behind! Let me tell you a little something about USA, because it is _something else_. From what I've heard…"

The bubbly conversation continued well into the night, as the savory smell of sukiyaki lingered past dinnertime.

* * *

"E-Eaten…?" Suki warbled.

As the throng of locals quickly grew closer, the girl's adrenaline kicked into overdrive, as she desperately tried to find something, _anything_ to use as shelter. She scanned the ramp, but saw nothing substantial to use as a hiding place. She knew she couldn't hide on the boat either. She _had_ to keep moving forward, but how? Something snapped in the girl's head, as her vision blurred and her hearing dulled to mere thumps and bumps. She was vaguely aware of the feeling of wind rushing past her cheeks, of the lactic acid burning in her legs, and the soft feeling of fabric between her fingers as she threw a piece of cloth up and took the opportunity to shove herself into the provided space. Thankfully, she hadn't heard the cloth rip, so she was sure that she was still hidden.

As she slowly came back to reality, she heard a familiar voice calling to her. At first, the voice seemed far away, and seemed to make the wall she was pressed against quiver slightly. Bit by bit, she made out the voice more and more, beginning to feel a slowly intensifying heat radiating from this wall, like a bed of warming coals. Finally, she discerned that the voice was coming from the area directly above her, causing vibrations in the "wall" she was flush against, as the scent of spice and desert air flooded her nostrils.

"Suki! What do you think you're doing?" Abdul questioned, wondering why the girl had suddenly crawled into his robes.

"P-Please, Abdul, don't let me get eaten!"

"Pardon?"

"India's gonna eat me, Abdul! It's gonna eat me alive and leave nothing behind!"

"What happened to what you said earlier? What was it? 'My body is ready?'" Abdul asked in a teasing tone.

"That was before I remembered what my mom told me!"

"Your mother told you that India would eat you?"

"Y-Yeah…" Suki nodded fearfully, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She felt more than heard Abdul laugh in front of her.

"Well, whether or not she meant it literally, if you are that concerned, you can hide until we enter a building. Does that sound reasonable?"

Suki's eyes glittered, as she looked up at Abdul through the red cloth as though he were a guardian angel.

"Mmhmm! Thank you!"

"Just stick close, understand?"

"Yep!"

* * *

The clamor of the mob at the dock seemed to fade as the group of six entered the restaurant. Scanning the room, Kakyoin noticed one person was missing from the group.

"Mr. Joestar, do you have any idea where Suki disappeared to?"

"Huh…" Joseph scratched his beard in thought, "That's odd, I could have sworn I saw her get off the boat with us," He turned to his grandson, "Jotaro, did you see her run off anywhere?"

The delinquent did not respond with words. He merely pointed at the floor near Abdul, and second set of feet directly behind the man, clothed in combat boots. Kakyoin chuckled as Joseph put a hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter.

"Is…Is it safe, now, Abdul?"

"Yes, it's safe now," Abdul reaffirmed, directing his voice to the back of his robe.

"Can I come out, then?"

The fortune teller seemed to think for a moment before obtaining a devilish smirk.

"What if I said 'no'?"

"What?! Abdul, you wouldn't!"

The man tightened his robes around his figure, effectively trapping the girl against him and preventing her from struggling. After a few moments of fruitless thrashing, Suki piped up again.

"Abdul, if you don't let me out this instant, I'm gonna call my friend, and he won't go easy on you!"

Quirking an eyebrow, Abdul looked back with a playful grin.

"And who might that be?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you, Abdul?" In that small moment, the other four men in the group could see the girl's small hands poke out, as she wiggled her fingers menacingly.

"I'm friends with the tickle monster!"

The girl then set her fingers to work, tickling every place she could reach in a desperate attempt to free herself. Abdul began to laugh, louder than was appropriate for a public setting, as the other four group members looked on with varying degrees of entertainment and confusion. Finally, Abdul loosed his grip on his robes just enough for Suki to drop to the floor in a crouch and fall down on her side, her mind a warm haze, as Polnareff, Kakyoin, and Joseph laughed.

"Ooogh…" Suki groaned. After a moment, she seemed to completely rebound from her dizziness, as she bolted up from the floor with a sour expression, "Do you have _any_ idea how hot it is under there for a normal person?! You're like a walking sauna!"

"But you _are_ the one who snuck into my robes in the first place. How sure could I have been, that they wouldn't eat you alive as soon as I let you out?" Abdul teased with a small smirk.

"My mom told me that India would eat a person like me alive! No offense, but I kinda trust the words of the woman who raised me over the words of a friend I met just a few days ago!"

"Wait, she said 'India will eat you alive,' and you thought she meant it?" Jotaro asked, a quirked eyebrow the only sign of any reaction to the chaos.

"W-Well, I mean…"

"So, were you thinking that the entire country of India would just grow a mouth and swallow you?" Joseph followed up with a cheeky grin.

"No! Nothing that stupid!"

"Then how literally _did_ you take the phrase?" Kakyoin questioned, desperately trying not to laugh, twirling his stray strand of hair.

"I-I dunno, I just thought the crowd would engulf me, and no one would hear from me again!"

With a chuckle, Abdul patted the girl on the shoulder.

"Well, that won't happen, I can assure you. It's just a matter of getting used to the place."

"Okay…"

After a short wait, the group finally managed to sit down at a table. The waiter then set down a brown drink in a teacup in front of each person.

"Here, have this," Abdul gestured to the drink, "This is chai. It's delicious."

Tilting her head, Suki picked up the delicate cup and brought it to her lips. She raised an eyebrow at the flavor.

 _It tastes kind of like that one dessert we tried when we went to America during the holidays…_ The girl thought, _What is it called…? Oh, right! Pumpkin pie…I think._

"At last, a little peace," Joseph sighed.

"It's just a matter of getting used to it. Once you get used to it, you'll see how wonderful this country is," Abdul spoke with reverence.

 _Man, he wasn't kidding, when he'd said he thought he'd curbed his claustrophobia…_ Suki reminisced over the events she had experienced with the man, all the large crowds and cramped spaces they had been in.

"I like this place. It's pretty great," Jotaro spoke up, leaning back in his chair.

"Seriously, Jotaro? You really mean that?" Joseph exclaimed. Suki was equally as shocked.

"Man, you Joestars sure are full of surprises, huh?" Suki said with a laugh.

"We're just getting started," The grandfather and grandson spoke at the same time, one determined, the other deadpan. The two exchanged a glance before Joseph chuckled embarrassedly and Jotaro tilted the brim of his hat over his eyes as he sighed. Suki looked at the two men before hiding a grin with her hand.

"Talk about culture shock," Polnareff sighed, "I'll like it once I get used to it, huh?" The Frenchman got up, taking his bag with him, "Well, they say that people adapt to their surroundings," Looking at the employee next to the table, he asked, "Where's the john?"

The employee, wearing a headdress and a pretty primrose outfit, pointed towards a hallway with a drape hanging over it, "It's over there."

"Polnareff."

Polnareff stopped and looked back at Joseph.

"Yeah?"

"What about your order?"

"I'll leave it to you. It had better be something amazing. Gorgeous, splendid food that suits a Frenchman like me," With that, Polnareff walked away, leaving Joseph's mouth to fall open.

"Which means we can pick anything," Kakyoin spoke up, examining the menu with a keen eye, "Let's see, something he'll like…" Looking up, he addressed the waiter, "Excuse me."

As Kakyoin and the waiter began a quiet exchange, Suki took her chance to peruse the menu. After a moment, the girl felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked over to see Abdul trying to get her attention.

"I may be able to change your tune about this country."

Suki raised an eyebrow.

"Right here?"

"Right now."

"…I'm listening."

"People seem to think that India is only famous for its spicy foods, but this country has more than just that taste to offer," Abdul then turned the pages of the menu to the dessert menu. Suki's eyes widened.

"W-Wow… Those are _all_ sweet things…?"

"Indeed, they are," The fortune teller reaffirmed.

 _As the first country to develop methods of extraction and purification for sugar, many travelers from across the globe learned these refining and cultivating techniques. Due to this, the use of sugar has become a global concept. This is all thanks to India, the first country to consume sugar._

"India made sugar," Abdul stated.

As her mouth watered near uncontrollably, Suki hugged the menu to her body as she looked up embarrassedly.

"Maybe it _isn't_ so bad here…" Suki murmured.

Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering reached Suki's ears. On instinct, she rose from her seat and looked to the place the sound had originated from. The hallway Polnareff had just disappeared into. Walking towards the hallway, she met Polnareff at the entrance, who was out of breath and wild-eyed. Before she could utter a single word asking what was wrong, he shouted to no one in particular.

"Stand!" The man scanned the room, seemingly oblivious to the girl standing in front of him, "Where's the user? Who is it?!"

"Polnareff, what's-" Suki started.

"The man with two right hands…" He muttered, ignoring her.

"Wait, you-"

Without another word, Polnareff turned and sprinted out of the restaurant. Suki turned to the rest of her group at the table with a concerned expression. They all exchanged looks before nodding collectively at her and getting up to leave.

As they walked outside, Joseph spoke up.

"What's wrong, Polnareff?"

"What's happening?" Abdul followed, walking to the front of the group.

"Polnareff…?" Suki called out gently. On closer examination, the man's stance was completely different from any she had seen him take before. If she had been shown the Polnareff from before, and the Polnareff that stood before her at this moment, she would say they're twins, not clones. He exuded a vibe that could only be attributed to pure, raw anger that set him on edge, a far cry from the kind, carefree aura he usually wore. The contrast was enough to cause Suki to shrink in apprehension.

"If that…If that was the Stand, that means…" Polnareff clenched his fist, "That means he's finally here! Jotaro, Suki, the Stand user you heard about that uses mirrors is here!" The girl's eyes widened as he brought his fist up in a gesture of determination, "The bastard that killed my little sister! The bastard that stepped all over my sister's life, soul, and pride. I can finally…I can finally see him!"

"The one you seek vengeance upon is here?" Joseph asked.

"Mr. Joestar," Polnareff addressed, turning to him, "I'll be traveling on my own here."

"Wh-!"

Everyone's expressions morphed to collective shock as the man made his claim clear.

"Now that I know the guy who killed my sister is nearby, I'm not going to wait for him to come after me." The Frenchman turned back to look at the crowd, "I'd be at a disadvantage if I let him attack me, and it's not my style." He swung his bag over his shoulder as he continued, "I'll find him first, and kill him!"

"Even though you don't know what he looks like, or what his Stand is?" Kakyoin chimed in, a concerned tone in his voice.

Polnareff turned back again.

"Knowing that he has two right hands is plenty! And he knows that I'm after him, as well," He pointed to his neck and flicked his wrist, simulating the action of lopping off his head, "He should be worried that I'll come for his head in his sleep."

"See ya," Joseph dismissed.

Polnareff began to walk away. Suki's eyes widened at Joseph's leniency. She turned her attention to the rest of the group, but saw that no one had the intent to step forward and stop this man on a mission. The girl turned her eyes to the ground in thought.

 _He's gonna die._

The words of Yellow Temperance echoed in Suki's ears as she clenched her fists. She stepped forward, ready to speak up.

"You'll go out for wool, only to come home shorn."

Looking in the direction of the voice, Suki was not surprised to discover the identity of the speaker, after their conversation yesterday. Abdul. Polnareff stopped and turned, his confusion clear.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just as it sounds," The fortune teller stated.

The man turned his whole body back to Abdul and took a step toward him.

"Are you implying that I'm going to lose?"

"Indeed," Abdul raised a fist to punctuate his point, "Can't you see that the enemy purposely attacked to get you alone?" Pointing at him, Abdul claimed, "I will not allow you to travel alone, Polnareff."

Polnareff walked up to Abdul and smacked his hand away, getting in his face and returning the man's point.

"Listen up. I'm going to make this clear. I never cared about Dio."

"Hm?"

"I told you in Hong Kong that I was only traveling with you so I could get my revenge. Mr. Joestar and Jotaro should already know this." For a split second, Suki was certain that Polnareff's eyes darted over and connected with hers, before he stepped back, raised a finger, and asserted, "I've been alone from the start! I've always been fighting alone!"

"No, that's…not…" Suki started, trying to find words to calm the man down, but coming up short.

"What a selfish man!" Abdul spat back, walking forward and getting in the Frenchman's face, "Did you forget that you were brainwashed by Dio? Have you forgotten that this all leads back to Dio?"

Suki could do little more than dart her eyes from one man to the other, desperately casting about for something, _anything_ to bring the situation back down to earth.

Naught but an empty, answerless void reached her.

Polnareff pushed back, "Like you'd ever understand how I feel after having my sister killed! I heard that the last time you met Dio, you got scared and ran away," At this statement, Abdul's eyes widened, "A coward like you would never understand how I feel!"

"What did you say?"

The Frenchman smacked Abdul away for the second time, turning away as he spoke venomously.

"Don't touch me. You were just lucky that you beat me in Hong Kong. Don't lecture me."

As Abdul clenched his fists, his fingernails biting into the skin of his palms, Polnareff began to storm off into the crowd. A pair of much smaller hands wrapping around his wrist stopped him. He spoke sternly, without even turning to look.

"Let go of me."

Suki shook her head.

"Polnareff, I…" Gritting her teeth and looking up at the man, she bit back tears as she desperately tried to convince him to stay, "I don't trust you. Not like this."

This got the man's attention, as he turned around the face the girl.

"Now, what are _you_ babbling about?"

Tightening her grip, Suki looked straight into his eyes as she spoke her next biting words.

"You said you were strong. That you'd been training for this moment for years. If that's the case, then why are you losing all rationality and acting like a stubborn brat?!"

Polnareff's eyes widened, as he leaned towards the girl, getting in her face. This close, she could see infernos broiling behind normally cool blue irises.

"What was that," It was not a question to hear her again. It was an order. Meeting his intimidating glare head-on, Suki felt the water in her eyes recede, as she spoke with confidence.

"You have no right to treat Abdul that way," Out of the corner of her vision, she saw the eyes of the man in question widen in surprise, "Especially when _I_ ran from Dio, too. Did you forget that? Hell, I _worked_ for the guy, because I knew I _couldn't_ fight him!" Suki's grip on the man's wrist tightened even more, the pads of her fingers digging into his wristbands, "There are some fights that you just can't win on your own. That's why I ran. That's why Abdul ran. And, for now, that's why you _should_ run. To fight as a group, and live another day, instead of gallivanting off like some crazed vigilante of justice, and dying for the sake of some unhealthy revenge!"

For a moment, the din of the Calcutta streets seemed to silence, as the other four men watched the girl's outburst with shock. Polnareff's eyes were wide. Having a small fragment of hope that her words had finally reached him, her tiny hope was dashed when his eyes narrowed and he smacked her hands, causing her to retract them with a hurt expression.

"I've gotten enough lecturing for today. I don't need a twerp like you telling me what to do," He turned and began to make his way into the crowd. The girl clenched her fists in front of her chest as she gritted her teeth.

 _Fine,_ the girl thought angrily, _We'll do this_ your _way, then._

Suki lunged at Polnareff, latching around his torso and digging her heels into the ground.

"Wha-Hey! Get off of me!" Polnareff shouted, as he began to struggle, trying to shake the girl off.

" _No!_ You're not going out there alone!" Suki yelled back, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried everything she could, "You're gonna die if you go out there! Please, you have to stay! I don't want you to go!"

Polnareff stopped struggling for a moment. Suki looked up, thinking she had succeeded in convincing him this time, only to be greeted with an incredibly conflicted expression, as the Frenchman narrowed his eyes. Shaking his head, he gritted his teeth and spoke a loud command.

"I said _get off_!" The man shoved the girl off of him as hard as he could, causing her to fall onto the ground. She wiped her eyes, looking up at him meekly, but Polnareff was not about to let her sad state sway him, as he shouted, "I'm sick and tired of you toying with me like this!"

At this, Abdul seemed to instinctively wind up a punch, as he lunged at Polnareff.

"Why, you-!"

Suddenly, Joseph held Abdul's arm back, seemingly appearing from nowhere, stopping him from attacking. Abdul looked back at Joseph.

"Mr. Joestar!"

"That's enough. Let him go. Now that he's like this, no one can stop him," Joseph's eyes darted to Suki with a hint of sadness, before he turned his full attention back to his friend.

Abdul, having seemed to finally calm down, sighed and retracted his arm.

"No, I'm just disappointed in him. I didn't think he was that sort of man."

Polnareff spat on the ground to the side. Abdul winced as he continued.

"I did indeed run in fear. That's also why I believe we will win, and can say with certainty that you'll lose."

"What?" Polnareff walked forward to stand in front of Abdul once again, as he spat, "Then I'll say this with certainty, too," Pointing at the man, he claimed, "Your divination will be wrong."

With that, Polnareff flicked Abdul's necklace disdainfully and disappeared into the crowd. The fortune teller sighed and walked over to Suki, reaching a hand out to her.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to drag you into that."

The girl looked up confusedly, tilting her head.

"What are you talking about? I stepped in myself," The girl sneezed, then sniffled. Taking notice of the dust now covering her outfit, Abdul began to brush the stray dirt off of her, "Oh, thank-ah!" The girl cried out, as she had absentmindedly tried to rub her eyes.

"What's the matter?" Abdul asked, taking a look at the girl's hands. They were covered in dirt.

"S-Sorry…" Suki murmured. Abdul shook his head and merely led her inside to help her wash up. The other three men cast concerned glances out at the still-thick throng of people before turning and walking back into the restaurant.

* * *

That rainy evening, the five sat at a table eating dinner. Joseph looked to the empty seat at the round table.

"So he didn't come back after all."

Everyone turned their attention to the lonely chair before trying to strike up a conversation to divert their attention on the issue. Suki sighed and poked absentmindedly at her milk pudding. No one even saw her take a bite before they got up to leave.

* * *

The next morning, Abdul walked out of the hotel alone, scanning his surroundings to make sure no one had seen him leave. Certain that he had not attracted attention, he walked on, only to be stopped by a hand wrapping around his wrist.

"You're going out to look for him, aren't you?"

Abdul turned, expecting to see a worried set of brown eyes, but was instead met with a determined pair of irises.

"I'm going with you."

After a moment, the man sighed before gently removing the girl's hand from his wrist.

"I do not wish to separate this group more than is necessary. I will find Polnareff, and return later. You and the rest of the group should stay together."

Suki looked down at the ground, kicking up a bit of dirt with her boots. Realizing the girl would need a valid reason to let him go alone, Abdul put his hands on her shoulders, catching her attention as she looked up at his face.

"I understand. You don't trust anyone to fight alone under these circumstances; however, it should not be long before I meet up with Polnareff. You can trust the strength we have, when we fight together."

Suki swallowed and nodded.

"Okay. I trust you."

With a sincere smile, he patted the girl on the shoulder before speaking again.

"I will be back before you know it. I promise."

Suki's eyes widened, as Abdul turned and disappeared into the crowd. The girl was stunned by his words.

 _No…Not again…_ She worried, _why did he have to say_ those _words? I trusted you…I trusted you to come back…But now…_

Breaking out of her daze, Suki rushed back into the hotel to warn the others.

 _I'm not gonna let this happen again._

* * *

Sprinting through the streets of Calcutta, weaving her way through countless strange faces as she whipped her head this way and that, Suki desperately searched for any sign of her two missing comrades.

 _Mr. Joestar, Kakyoin, and Jotaro seemed to get on the case pretty quick. I don't like splitting up in this situation, but if it means finding Abdul and Polnareff faster, I don't care._

Suddenly, the girl skidded to a stop, kicking up a large cloud of dirt, as she was sure she had heard a familiar voice. Turning all of her attention to the voice, she was certain she heard two voices laughing loudly. One of the voices was one she recognized.

 _Polnareff!_

Dashing through the alley, she came to an open street, where Polnareff and a strange blond man wearing a cowboy outfit were standing across from each other, guffawing. Willing to standby for a moment to gather information on what was going on, Suki crawled under a nearby yellow bench, waiting for her moment to join in the fight.

 _Much as I'd like to think that that's just a new friend Polnareff is having a laugh with, I don't trust that notion. This guy is sketchy beyond all belief,_ Suki huffed, _First, we had orangutans on boats. Now we have cowboys in India. What's next, card games on hippos?_

"Prepare to die!" Both men shouted in unison. The blond man spat out his cigarette as a threatening smile twisted up his lips.

"You underestimated me, Polnareff!" As he spoke, a handgun phased into existence in his open hand, as he took a battle-ready stance, "And now, you've lost!"

Polnareff summoned Silver Chariot to defend himself. Faster than anyone could see, the Stand shed its armor, picking up speed and moving through the air like a dragonfly. Silver Chariot moved in front of the bullet and brought its sword down, prepared to slice it in two. As Suki gained a bit of faith that the Frenchman could hold his own, despite the circumstances, the bullet didn't even turn as it curved about the weapon, regaining its original trajectory.

Straight towards Polnareff's forehead.

Desperate to help, Suki scrambled out from her hiding place as quickly as she could, only to see a flash of red rushing straight toward the Frenchman.

"Polnareff!"

Abdul tackled Polnareff to the ground, just as the bullet curved past where his head once was, up into the clouds. Suki breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Wha- Abdul!"

"I went looking for you because I was worried, and look what I find!" The fortune teller spoke sternly, "You're too full of yourself, Polnareff."

"W-Worried?" Polnareff stood up, shaking his fist in anger, "Damn you! Are you going to lecture me again?"

"The enemy knows everything about you! You said you've lived life alone, but from now on, you won't be able to win alone!" Abdul exclaimed, standing up as well.

Polnareff gritted his teeth as he looked at Abdul. Glancing behind Polnareff, Abdul saw Suki standing up in front of a merchant's shop. He chuckled.

"I had a feeling…"

Wondering what the fortune teller was looking at, Polnareff followed his gaze to see the girl standing there. His eyes widened.

"Y-You too, huh?"

Suki stared at the ground for a moment before looking up, locking eyes with the man as she nodded. Meanwhile, the blond man across the way tossed a new cigarette into the air and caught it in his mouth, as he looked on at the three disdainfully.

"What bad timing for outsiders to interfere."

The bullet that had previously streaked up into the sky curved back, heading straight toward the two men. Abdul shoved Polnareff to the side as he made his orders clear.

"Move, Polnareff! The bullet's coming back!" The robed man crossed his arms as he fearlessly stared the oncoming bullet down, "Magician's Red!" The avian spirit phased into view behind the man as he claimed, "I'll burn it to cinders!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Suki saw a smirk grow on the blond man's face. Her eyes widened.

 _This…This is just what he wants!_

Time seemed to slow as Suki looked at Abdul, unaware of what his enemy was planning as he kept his eyes locked on his target.

 _Abdul…Abdul is going to…!_

The girl launched from her stationary position, the dusty streets seeming to give under her feet as she skidded to a stop directly in front of the fortune teller, a few meters separating the two. She drew in a shaky breath as the man darted his eyes to the girl curiously, wondering what she was planning.

 _That bullet…It's going for a headshot this time too, I know it. No matter what I do, no matter how fast I move, that bullet will just move around any guard I put up. I think…I think I'll have to push Abdul out of the way._

Suki summoned Knight of Cups and formed a watery pistol in her hand.

 _That memory of my brother…Right, it's clear. All my Stand does is simulate pain to the physical body. All this will do is push him out of the way. I just have to make this shot count…!_

She raised the gun up, feeling her heart pounding like a war drum in her ear. As she focused solely on the fortune teller, the girl saw his body seize up, as though he had received an injury from behind.

There was no time.

Gritting her teeth, she felt the words on her lips as she screamed them in her mind.

 _I'm…I'm going to save you!_

She pulled the trigger, just as the enemy's phantom bullet whizzed by her ear. The girl fell backwards, her stance having been unbalanced in the heat of the moment.

Straining her eyes forward, her eyes grew wide as she saw the man she had tried to save fall back, blood spurting from his forehead. In the hopes that what she had seen wasn't real, Suki began to crawl forward, stopping upon feeling something wet on her right hand. Turning it over, the red liquid caused the girl to gasp. She stared at her hand, unable to tear her eyes away as her mind grew foggy.

 _No…No, this wasn't…_

Looking up at the fallen man, she stared as hard as she could, trying to will him up and awake.

 _Abdul…Abdul, please…No…This wasn't supposed to happen…!_

"Man, today must be my day. My gun and J. Geil's mirror don't do very well with Abdul's flames, so we thought he'd be our most formidable enemy. Talk about luck!" Suki looked at the blond man who was now sneering at her, "And to top it all off, looks like we got some unexpected help, too," He tipped his hat to the girl, "Much appreciated, Miss."

Suki's eyes widened. Polnareff and Kakyoin, who had appeared kneeling next to Abdul's side without the girl's knowledge, turned to Suki with shocked expressions.

 _I…Did I remember wrong? No, I couldn't have…Could I?_

 _Why…Why is Abdul dead?!_

"You…But, why…?" Kakyoin spoke shakily.

Her eyes fell to the ground as she felt her chest burn and her throat swell. She remembered Abdul's words from what seemed like ages ago.

You _are strong… I can see this is difficult for you to understand, and that's alright. We will help you learn to understand. Alright?_

The girl clenched her fists, dirt digging under her fingernails, as she gritted her teeth so hard she felt them crack.

 _I just wanted to save you…I_ didn't _kill you. I_ know _I didn't…_

A laugh was heard further in front of her. Suki looked up at the gunman.

"He's got such a strong face, and yet he died in an instant," The enemy Stand user dropped his cigarette and stamped the ember out with his boot, "Well, the end of someone's life is usually a pretty sudden curtain call. It's probably normal to die without being able to say goodbye," He made a taunting gesture at Polnareff, "It may seem like I'm talking as though I know everything, but…"

At this statement, Polnareff began to trudge forward, wiping his eyes of tears as he stared the murderer down.

"Polnareff! Please, don't let him get to you! Do you still not understand?" Kakyoin shouted, "Mr. Abdul told you not to fight by yourself!" Polnareff stopped in front of a window, as the honor student continued, "And you ignored that…You wanted to get revenge, even if it meant dying with your enemy. Mr. Abdul followed you because that worried him, and this is what happened!"

"So what am I supposed to do?" The Frenchman asked.

"We need to fall back for now."

Polnareff paused, his rage seeming to emanate from him in waves as he spat out his next words.

"Abdul was cruelly stabbed in the back. My sister was killed without resistance. You want me to hold these regrets inside and run away?!"

"Don't fight them when we don't even know how their Stands work yet! Don't fight a battle that will kill you! That's what Mr. Abdul was trying to tell you!" Kakyoin responded.

Suki stood slowly, making her way over to Kakyoin, over to where Abdul lay. Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, he turned, anger lighting up his eyes.

"Stay back…"

"Kakyoin…" Suki stopped, his venomous words hitting her hard as she flinched. After a moment, she shook her head and regained her composure, "I know what you saw, but you and I both know how my Stand works," She looked at the two men in front of her with a determined gaze, "Besides, didn't you both agree before, that if I wanted you dead, I would've acted?"

They both looked at her with contemplative expressions, as the blond man raised an eyebrow.

"I'm on your side…" Suki turned to Polnareff, "And I won't let any of you fight alone."

"Hey! Come on, lil' Pol Pol," The gunman goaded Polnareff on, grabbing his attention as the silver-haired man clenched a fist and spoke viscerally.

"Why, you…"

"Polnareff! Slowly come back towards me," Kakyoin pointed with his thumb at a nearby truck, "We're going to use that truck to get out of here."

"Y-You're telling me to hold it in?" Polnareff asked.

"It's dangerous to stay. I know…I know you're angry, but Kakyoin's right. Please, listen to him, and let's go," Suki coaxed, as Kakyoin's eyes darted to her, slightly unconvinced.

 _Please, just trust me…_

"A-All ri-"

"Hey, Polnareff," Polnareff looked at the window to his left upon hearing his name, staring into it with a startled expression. The disembodied voice spoke on, "Abdul died for you," Polnareff looked behind himself frantically, clearly not seeing what he was looking for, "I think that means you owe him. He might not have died, if not for you."

It was then that Suki could finally see the source of the voice, what looked to be a shambling corpse, half-bandaged like a mummy, only appearing before Polnareff in the reflection of the window, slowly edging toward the man.

"Y-You bastard. Where's your real body?!" Polnareff asked, turning to the gunman.

"Polnareff, calm down!" Kakyoin reached out to the Frenchman as he spoke.

"But there's no need to be sad. Actually, you should be happy…" Polnareff turned back to the window, back to the enemy Stand, "Since you'll be together again soon," A blade extended from the palm of the Stand, as he looked on at Polnareff unsympathetically, "You'll die, and then you can be with those two fools in the next world," The shambling spirit laughed as he brought the blade down, wrapping his arm around the other.

"Your little sister was really cute, Polnareff…Once you're reunited with your sister, you should ask her about exactly how I killed her!"

Polnareff screamed in rage as he summoned Silver Chariot.

"Polnareff, don't let him provoke you! He _wants_ you to attack!" Kakyoin warned, but too late.

"Bastard!" Polnareff shouted, as his Stand stabbed frantically into the window. As the shards of glass fell through the air, a malefic laugh was heard.

"Your Chariot cannot cut my Hanged Man. I am within a mirror. Your Stand can't enter a mirror. That's why!" What looked like a hand's grip appeared on Polnareff's shoulder, as The Hanged Man laughed again.

"You mad? I bet you're mad."

Silver Chariot phased out of view as the enemy Stand continued.

"Hey, Hol Horse. Fire away. Let's put an end to this idiot."

"Aye aye, sir," The blond man responded, summoning his handgun again.

… _What can I do…?_ Suki thought, _I can't…even save one person…_

"Die!"

 _Someone…help him…please…!_

Hol Horse's gun fired. A fierce cry rang out from behind Suki.

"Emerald Splash!"

"What?!" Both enemy voices shouted, as Polnareff was knocked out of the way by the jewels rushing through the air. The bullet ricocheted off of the incoming projectiles, landing in the wall of a nearby building.

"What? He shot…"

"…Polnareff!"

 _He…He did it…!_

The rev of a car motor was heard, as the truck Kakyoin pointed out sped closer and closer to Polnareff, the honor student sitting behind the wheel with a fiery gaze. Kakyoin reached out to the Frenchman as he drove by. Polnareff grabbed his outstretched hand and desperately tried to climb into the moving vehicle, as it sped past Hol Horse.

"Kakyoin, was it? Not bad…" The ranger grumbled, fanning the dirt that had been kicked up by the truck, summoning his handgun once more and aiming at the vehicle moving further and further away. He clicked his tongue.

"That's out of my Stand's range. Even if I hit him from here, the bullet wouldn't hit with much force," The clinking of metal spurs was heard as he walked over to the shards of glass laying on the ground, "Mr. J. Geil went after them, eh? He must really want to finish off Polnareff," With a sigh, the man turned and looked at Suki, scanning her up and down with narrowed eyes as he approached. Suki panicked inwardly, unsure as to what the lone ranger could want after seeing that display.

"So, that leaves Polnareff, Kakyoin, Joseph, Jotaro, and the false insurgent. I must say though," He grinned, "I wasn't expecting a young lady like yourself to be such a backstabber."

 _Oh, f-_ now _? Really?_ Suki felt frustrated tears well up in her eyes, _Dammit…I can't do anything on my own. This guy will get to walk free and get in contact with Dio. It's hard, but…Okay, deep breath. Play it cool. You're the "bad guy," remember?_

The girl rubbed at her eyes with her thumb and forefinger, making it seem as though they had merely been itchy, as she planted the façade she thought she wouldn't have to deal with so soon again.

"What can I say? Looks can be quite… deceiving…" She sneered, her eyes narrowing.

"Quite deceiving, indeed…" Hol Horse put a hand to his chin as he smirked, "You are quite the actress. You even had me fooled as to whose side you were really on. Those fools are just dancing in the palm of your hand!" He laughed.

"Hmhmhm, I _do_ try my best. Watching them struggle so is… entertaining, to say the least," She folded her arms, smiling contentedly.

 _I'm drawling a bit…This is more difficult than before…Just pretend like you aren't connected to them, push their connections out of your mind…You're Dio's servant right now._

"There's one thing that confuses me, though…" The blond ranger started, lighting a cigarette he had placed in his mouth, "I originally thought you were trying to kill Abdul, as well, but then you mentioned to Kakyoin that he knew how your Stand worked. It sounded as though you were trying to persuade him that you _were_ an ally…"

"I-I _was…_ "

 _Shit, don't_ stutter _now!_

Hol Horse looked up with a curious expression, putting his lighter back in his pocket.

 _Slow down. Think. You're not in a fight. He isn't gonna try and kill you, or anyone else right this second._

"If I am to be believed in wanting to take Lord Dio down, the trust my allies have in me cannot waver. The stronger their trust in me, the more they will believe in my decisions and actions," She smirked, feeling bile moving in her throat as she spoke her next words, "And the more they'll suffer once Lord Dio lays his hands on them."

The enemy Stand user walked closer, looking straight into Suki's eyes as he examined her closely.

"Do you find it hard to believe me?" Suki smiled placidly as she continued, "Well, believe what you so desire. I am but a humble servant of Lord Dio. If my pathetic actions can bring him pleasure, then that is all I require to continue on this mortal coil."

There was a long, heavy pause that seemed to weigh down on Suki's neck, before Hol Horse spoke again.

"What is your name, Miss?"

"Suki. Suki Kanao. And you are Hol Horse, if I'm not mistaken?"

"You are correct, Miss Kanao. It's a pleasure to meet you," Hol Horse took her right hand and brought it to his lips. Suki flinched at what she usually considered a gentlemanly gesture, as he seemed to be nonplussed about the blood that brushed off her hand onto his. Seeing her reaction, the man let go of her hand.

"I apologize, you and Lord Dio must be close."

Suki only nodded, desperately trying to cover for her involuntary action.

"Well, the next time I see him, I will make sure Lord Dio knows of what a good show you're putting on," With that, Hol Horse turned and waved to the girl still standing by, "Farewell, Miss Kanao!"

"Wait. One more thing I must mention."

The man turned, a confused expression gracing his features.

"All members of the group will want you dead, after what you did to Abdul. If I see you again, alongside them…" Suki's expression became grim as she voiced her opinion through different words than she wanted to use, "I cannot guarantee that I will act for your safety."

His eyebrows raised for a moment, before he turned again, chuckling.

"Thank you for the warning. I'll keep that in mind," He tipped his hat and continued on, turning the corner and walking down the next street.

As soon as she was sure that he was out of earshot, Suki breathed a long, heavy sigh, falling to her knees on the ground.

 _It hasn't been that long, but I already feel out of practice…_ Suki mused, holding her head in one hand, _that only served as a reminder…I can't think_ nearly _that well all the time. I get so caught up in the commotion during fights that I can't think straight. Was all of that training with Big Bro…Was it all for naught?_ She shook her head, _it was worth_ something _, I know that. I wouldn't be nearly this fit if I hadn't trained like that for so long. But my grey matter is lacking when I'm in a pinch…_

Suki turned to Abdul, still lying completely still on the ground. She moved over and knelt down next to his body. She winced at the wound on his head, Hol Horse's bullet clearly having made contact, creating a bloody trench in his forehead.

 _Will I…Will I never hear your voice again, Abdul?_

Thinking maybe, just maybe, by some miracle, he might still be alive, Suki closed her eyes and gently touched her fingers to his neck, looking for a pulse.

It was barely there, but a dull beat thrummed underneath his skin.

Opening her eyes wide, Suki removed her fingers and pressed her ear to his chest. Sure enough, while quiet, there was no mistaking the sound of his heart.

 _He's…He's alive…?! I..._

"Suki! Abdul!"

The girl looked up upon hearing her name, seeing Joseph and Jotaro rushing over to where she knelt.

"What happened?" Mr. Joestar asked, looking between Suki and Abdul in concern.

"Mr. Joestar…Jotaro…" She couldn't stop the tears she had been holding back from falling as she whimpered, "Please…Please, he's alive…He needs help…!"

Joseph and Jotaro looked at each other, then back to Suki, and nodded.

* * *

The wait for the Speedwagon medics felt agonizingly long, until the ambulance they had called finally pulled in. The three rode to the hospital alongside their ally, Suki casting furtive glances at Abdul, willing him silently to pull through. Arriving at the building, the fallen man was taken back to have surgery. As they sat in the waiting room, Suki quietly explained what she had seen to the two men.

"I just…I just wish I could've done more…" Suki thought aloud, holding her head in one hand.

Joseph patted her shoulder as he spoke to her.

"You did the best you could, I'm sure."

"Hm," Suki responded, not giving an affirmative or a negative to this statement.

A doctor called out to Mr. Joestar soon after. The old man rose from his seat and walked over to him and began to speak quietly with him about the results of the surgery. Suki sighed.

"He said you did your best," Jotaro spoke without even looking at her.

"I-I know…I'm just…unsure."

"Of what?"

"…It's really dumb."

"Well, what else is new?"

"Gee, thanks…"

…

"…I know how my Stand works. I _know_ how she works. But…" Suki pulled her knees up to her chest as she buried her face in her legs, "With everyone accusing me there…Everyone thinking _I_ killed him, or that I had _some_ hand in it, I…I lose that faith. That faith that I know what I'm doing, that I know myself…"

"So, you would trust someone else's word over your own, about your _own_ Stand?"

Suki pulled her legs closer to her, as though retreating from something she had done wrong. Jotaro didn't respond at first, as he closed his eyes in thought. Then, opening them, he turned to the girl huddled in the chair.

"Okay, what if I told you, right now, 'you're strong'?"

"Huh?" Suki looked up, blinking. She then cast her eyes away as she responded, "I-I'm not, though…"

"…This is really fucking stupid."

"I told you-"

"Stop taking what people tell you so seriously. At the very least, give _some_ thought to what they're saying before you brush it off or take it to heart."

Suki looked into the man's eyes and saw that he was dead serious.

 _It's like he's speaking from experience…_

"I'll…do my best."

He nodded and turned back in his seat, just as Mr. Joestar came back over. The old man motioned for Jotaro to come over and speak with him, excluding the girl. The delinquent cast a glance at Suki before sighing and getting up, following his grandfather out of earshot. She looked up at the ceiling contemplatively.

 _I hope Polnareff and Kakyoin are all right…_

Unbeknownst to her, both men kept casting small glances at her as they spoke. Finally finished with their conversation, they walked over to Suki, who stood upon seeing them approach.

"Is…Is Abdul going to…?"

Joseph sighed.

"He…didn't make it."

Suki's eyes widened, as her face fell. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

 _Dammit…_ She cursed inwardly, _if only…if only I could've…! Goddamnit!_

"I understand this is difficult to accept," Joseph folded his arms as he spoke, bowing his head.

 _Mr. Joestar…He's taking this better than I am, and he and Abdul have known each other for so much longer…_ Suki clenched her fists as she thought, _I…I have to take a page out of his book._

"Abdul…would want us to keep moving forward, right?" She murmured, as Joseph looked up at her. She met his eyes and continued, "Let's keep moving, then."

With a nod, the three left the hospital.

* * *

"You guys are _sure_ you saw Polnareff and Kakyoin go this way?"

The two men nodded as they continued down the alley, Suki keeping up with light footsteps behind them. Suddenly, as they neared the exit of the alleyway, Hol Horse rushed around the corner, clearly not paying attention to his surroundings. Jotaro immediately wound up a jab and thrust his fist into the face of the approaching enemy Stand user. The cowboy fell back, landing on the ground and holding his face, as Kakyoin and Polnareff rushed up and joined the three. Suki breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the two men alive, but grew worried upon seeing that Polnareff was covered in bloody streams.

"Mr. Joestar! Jotaro! Suki!" Kakyoin called out as he approached. Joseph took that moment to speak up.

"We already know about Abdul. Though it was a simple funeral, his body's been buried."

The five turned to the cowering, grounded blond gunman, as Kakyoin made an assertion heard.

"The one who stabbed Mr. Abdul in the back was the man with two right hands, but the cause of death was Hol Horse's bullet."

Suki's eyes widened, as she turned to Kakyoin and Polnareff.

"W-W-W-Wait!" Hol Horse warbled, pointing at her, "I'm not the only one who contributed to his death! She shot him, too!"

 _He must still think that I was attempting to kill Abdul…Is he trying to get everyone to focus on me, so he can escape?_

The girl clenched her fists at her sides, gritting her teeth.

"I must admit," Kakyoin mused, twisting his stray strand of hair in his fingers, "In the heat of the moment, I _did_ see this to be a joint effort; however, after being given time to think, I remembered who I was pointing the finger at," The red-haired man shook his head and glanced at Suki, before turning his pointed gaze back to Hol Horse, "Murderous intent was absent."

 _Kakyoin…You_ do _trust me…_

"She was standing right in front of me. I saw her shoot that gun… But, I know her. She's never stained her hands with anyone's blood besides her own," Polnareff brought up a fist and looked at it, tightening it as he looked back to the blond cowboy, "To think that she would change, when the life of the man she loves is in her hands is pure nonsense!"

 _Polnareff…You, too?_

"You all…" Hol Horse began to shout, raising a hand in defense, "You all are a bunch of crazies! She _killed_ your friend, and you're just gonna let that slide?!"

"What shall we do with him?" Kakyoin asked, clearly ignoring the man on the ground.

"I'll give him his sentence," Polnareff claimed, walking up to the blond cowboy and summoning Silver Chariot, "Death!"

Suddenly, a woman wearing a dark pink sari and headdress appeared and rushed into Polnareff with all of her strength, shoving him to the ground.

"Wha?!"

The fancily dressed maiden cried out to Hol Horse as she held Polnareff down, as the Frenchman shouted in confusion at her.

"Please run, Sir Hol Horse! Sir Hol Horse! I don't know what's going on, but I'm always thinking of you! That is my reason to live! Please run! Hurry!"

"You bitch! Let go of me! What are you thinking?!" Polnareff turned his attention to the people behind him, "Jotaro! Kakyoin! Don't let Hol Horse get away!"

"Too late," Jotaro deadpanned.

"Huh?" The restrained man looked back towards where the blond cowboy once was, "Oh…"

Hol Horse had somehow summoned a steed, as he reined the animal in from its back, calling out to the sari-wearing woman.

"Well said, baby! I'll gladly accept your feelings and keep on living!"

Suki whipped her head from the enemy back to her group and back again.

 _You…You aren't going to do_ anything _?!_

"I'm running away because I love you, baby!" Hol Horse reassured.

 _No…No!_

Without warning, Suki launched over the still struggling Polnareff and lovestruck woman, as she sprinted forward to catch up with the horse that was slowly turning in the opposite direction.

"Suki, wait! Come back!" She heard Joseph yell behind her. The girl ignored his pleas to return as she focused on her target, rushing forward and leaping out, grasping for the saddle. Feeling the leather in her hands, she stopped running and began attempting to climb the horse.

"What the- Hey, get off!" Hol Horse yelled, shoving into her with his foot. To no avail, as Suki retained her iron grip with a determined flame flaring in her eyes.

 _I'm sorry, horse,_ the girl apologized in her mind, as she wiped her brow and formed a watery knife, stabbing it into the animal. Reacting as she expected, the horse began to lose control, rearing and bucking about in a fruitless attempt to lose its attacker. Jostled by the out-of-control mount, Hol Horse fell off the side, lashing an arm out to hold onto the saddle and facing his attacker. The girl slashed at his arm, causing him to shout in pain, but the man was too set in getting away. He wasn't going to let go, not for anything. That didn't stop Suki, though, as she continued to screech in anger and stab his arm over and over.

" _Let go alreadyyyyyyyyy!"_

" _Suki!_ " She heard Polnareff cry out from what seemed like miles away, as she turned to see Hol Horse cocking his gun at her. The girl froze upon seeing the weapon, her eyes growing wide.

 _Come on,_ move _, dammit!_

"Suki, let go of the horse!" Kakyoin yelled, what sounded like a faint murmur as the horse continued to breeze forwards.

"Suki!"

"You 're a damn good actress, I'll give you that," Hol Horse started, an unsympathetic expression gracing his features, "Dio might be paying me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to die for the sake of your little play."

His lips turned up in a smirk.

"So long, Miss Kanao."

An ear-shattering bang resonated in the girl's ears as she was thrown back to tumble through the dirt, the concerned shouts of her teammates dulling as she blacked out.

* * *

Chapter Six – Hit Him with Your Best Shot

-END-

|To Be Continued|\|/

* * *

 **Suki is a fujoshi. I have no shame.**

 **Also, I felt I should let you all know that I use the subbed anime as my source for the script of the scenes that still occur in canon. From time to time, I do have to add in words that weren't there originally, to address my OC mainly, but, just this one time, I decided to use the line from the leaked dub clip of Polnareff vs. Hol Horse. "Prepare to die" sounds cooler to me than "I'll kill you," so I ended up making the switch. Otherwise, save for new scenes, I try to keep the actions and dialogue as close to canon as possible. The next chapter will be up shortly!** **-BlueBow**


	8. Chapter 7 - Dio Said Knock You Out

**WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by another warning right beforehand, and another line right where the explicit scene ends. You have been warned.**

* * *

Suki cracked her eyes open, the nearby dust hanging in the air making them sting. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, as she sat up, holding her head in one hand.

 _I think…I was…_

The girl opened her eyes at the sound of four sets of running footsteps approaching, finally taking notice of the rest of her teammates rushing towards her in concern.

"Suki!" Joseph knelt down in front of her, looking her up and down, before turning his gaze towards her left arm and wincing, "It's a stroke of luck that you're not fatally injured, but you still need medical attention."

 _That's…That's right…_

She replayed the events that had just transpired in her shaken-up mind. Hol Horse's escape attempt, and her refusal to let him run. The all-too distant cries of her allies to let go and come back, and the sound of a gun being fired right in front of her.

 _That bastard shot me, but where…?_

Following Mr. Joestar's gaze, her own eyes landed on the ugly red hole that now sullied her skin. Blood streamed down her arm, reaching her elbow and dripping onto the ground near her, as the muscles and tissues in her upper arm looked back at their owner in an angry haze. The bullet appeared to have gone straight through her arm, leaving a hole the size of a jawbreaker. All at once, the pain of the wound reached the girl, as she winced and gritted her teeth.

"I'm…I'm fine…" Suki rasped out, as she looked at Mr. Joestar, then the rest of the group, and shook her head, "I'm not gonna slow you down any more than I already have. Let's just go to Varanasi, like we planned."

The expressions of her teammates grew skeptical and confused, as Joseph spoke up.

"You're not slowing us down."

The girl cast her eyes down guiltily.

"But…I…"

Suki closed her eyes, took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled.

 _I don't…I don't have time to let this get the better of me. I have to believe what they say…Value myself._

She opened her eyes and looked at Joseph and the rest of the group.

"Okay."

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her roll of bandages, putting the material between her teeth as she worked to unravel enough to wrap around her arm.

"Here, can I help with that?"

Looking at Mr. Joestar, Suki noticed that the others were watching her as she pathetically tried to bandage herself up. Letting the material drop from between her teeth, she placed the roll in Joseph's hand, as he set to work.

"Abdul is gone. But we have to hurry ahead. It's already been fifteen days since we left Japan."

The girl looked up at the older man, confused as to what he was referring to, until she remembered what had just happened.

 _He's reprimanding me for acting out earlier…I'd be upset, but he_ does _have a point…_

With a sigh, as Joseph finished bandaging her arm, she spoke.

"Okay. I guess…it can't be helped. Not right now, at least."

"All right! Let's resume our trip to Egypt," Suki was surprised to hear Polnareff speak up as she stood, as he addressed the whole group, "Listen up! In order to defeat Dio, our hearts have to be as one. We can't go off on our own! That's when he'll come after us. Get it?"

Everyone responded to the question with a firm nod.

"Let's get a move on!"

"Good grief."

* * *

As the four men and two girls made it to the bus stand, much to Suki's confusion, Joseph elaborated that he wanted to go to Varanasi while Suki received medical attention, so he could ensure they got hotel rooms before the front desk closed. After a few moments of deliberation, it was decided that Polnareff and the girl wearing the pink sari would accompany Mr. Joestar, while Kakyoin and Jotaro would stay back with Suki and catch a different bus.

"See you soon," Joseph bade goodbye as he and his two companions stepped onto the vehicle. Out of the corner of her eye, Suki noticed a small, white bandage on the arm of the fancily-dressed girl.

 _Huh…I wonder when that happened…_ Shaking her head, Suki reassured, _she probably got that wound when she was holding Polnareff down. It's nothing, I'm sure._

As the two men waved goodbye from the back of the bus, the automobile finally pulled out from the stop, slowly fading into the distance towards the next destination. After seeing them off, the two students and the girl began to make their way to the hospital. Suki looked at her right hand as she walked along behind the two men. It was dusty, but she could still make out dried red splotches. She turned her eyes to the sky, narrowing her eyes as she tried to send a message.

 _Abdul…We won't fight alone anymore…_

* * *

"Wait, Mr. Joestar asked a Speedwagon Foundation doctor to come _here?"_

Kakyoin nodded in response to the girl's question.

"After having to call in Speedwagon Foundation lawyers to bail Polnareff out, he thought it would be a good idea to station doctors along our route to Egypt," The red-haired student put a hand to his chin as he thought aloud, "I believe he also asked some agents to scope Cairo out for Dio's hideout…"

Suki shook her head.

"Why would you send agents to look for Dio's hideout when I can just _lead_ you there?"

"But, you're supposed to be a 'false insurgent,' aren't you?" Kakyoin asked, forming air quotes with his fingers, "Mr. Joestar felt that Dio would lash out at you in some way, if he discovered your true nature, so he sent those agents there in part to keep Dio's suspicions off of you. Plus," The honor student raised a finger to punctuate his point, "Dio could very well move without our knowledge."

"True…" Suki folded her arms and leaned back against the waiting room couch, "But, man, this Speedwagon Foundation is something else. Lawyers, doctors, and now _reconnaissance agents?_ What's next, astronauts? It's like the company was made specifically to cater to his every whim, or something!"

"I'm not so sure about the astronaut part," Kakyoin responded with a chuckle, "But, I do remember asking Mr. Joestar about the foundation myself earlier on. He mentioned something about a close friend of his being near inseparable from his grandfather."

"Oh, _right…"_ Suki recalled their conversation back on the freighter, when they compared stories about Dio before and after he rejected his humanity, "He _did_ mention that Jonathan Joestar had a friend by the name of Speedwagon…Yikes, I heard Jonathan Joestar was a stand-up guy, but enough to make friends with the owner of an entire _foundation?"_

"Well, I don't know too many details," Kakyoin mused, fiddling with his stray strand of hair, "If you're curious, you should ask Mr. Joestar about it later."

"Mm," Suki nodded, as she turned her attention back to the waiting room.

The room was quite simple, with several chairs and couches in neat arrangements, and a few side tables in different places. A magazine rack sat against the wall next to the entrance, with the front desk situated across from the rows of chairs. An unsympathetic, tired-looking woman with square frame glasses sat behind the counter, engrossed in whatever documents she was filling out. The waiting room was darker than most of the hospitals the two students had been to, but it still carried that unmistakably sterile atmosphere.

"Nervous?"

"H-Huh?" Suki asked, turning her head to Jotaro, who sat on her other side.

The delinquent did not speak further, as he simply pointed at her hands. Turning her own gaze down, she noticed that her fingers had been twirling about each other without her knowledge. Setting them to rest, she squeezed her hands together, biting her lip and tapping one of her now joined hands with her thumb.

"A little…I-I guess…"

"Miss Kanao, the doctor will see you now," The nurse called out from the open door. Looking up, Suki looked to her two companions before standing up slowly and making her way to the door. She walked through the doorway before the nurse put her hand out, stopping the two students from following her.

"Are you her family members?"

"Uh, they're my…bodyguards…" The words were out of Suki's mouth before she could take them back, as the two men looked at her skeptically. The nurse didn't seem to notice, as she had shifted her attention to the patient. Putting her hands together in a pleading gesture, the girl continued, "I apologize, my family couldn't accompany me here, but I need these two by my side. Please understand."

After a moment, the nurse nodded and smiled.

"Right this way."

"Thank you."

As the three made their way down the hall, following close behind the nurse, Jotaro summoned Star Platinum to speak covertly with the girl in front of him.

"Bodyguards?"

Calling out Knight, Suki responded with a peeved expression.

"Well, you guys aren't my brothers, and you're either too young or too old to be any other sort of family member of mine."

"You could've just said we're cousins."

"Yeah, well," Knight shrugged, "'bodyguards' is a more honest answer anyway. I can't exactly fend for myself, y'know."

Kakyoin chuckled lightly, catching the attention of the two bickering individuals. Summoning Hierophant Green, he joined in the conversation.

"Sorry, it's just been a while since you two have argued like an old married couple."

The two raised an eyebrow before they responded.

"We don't-" The two began in unison before sighing and turning back towards the hall. Suki chose to speak up and finish the thought.

"We don't argue like an old married couple, Kakyoin."

"Are you certain?" The honor student asked with a playful smile.

"Oh my- _yes,"_ Knight put her hands on her hips and responded.

"Then why are you blushing?" Kakyoin asked, craning his neck to get a better look at the girl's face.

"Wha-" Suki turned away and twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, as Knight folded her arms and looked away,

"Y-You're just imagining things."

"Perhaps you should look in a mirror?"

"I'm _not_ blushing!"

As the two continued to argue, Jotaro fiddled with the brim of his cap.

"Good grief."

"Here we are," The nurse said, as they arrived at a door leading into a tiny room.

Walking into the room, the smell of cleaning chemicals hit all three individuals like a truck. An examination bench covered in white paper sat against a wall, with three other chairs on the opposite side of the room for family members or other guardians. A small set of cabinets was situated next to the bench, with a sink next to them.

"Please, Miss Kanao, if you could make yourself comfortable on that bench there, the doctor will be here any second."

"Thank you."

With that, Suki sat on the bench and the door shut behind the three. The girl took a deep breath as Jotaro and Kakyoin sat down in the chairs that were completely dwarfed by their size.

 _Okay…Baby steps…I made it through the waiting room, and I made it to the patient's room._

 _Baby steps end now._

Allowing her mind to finally give in to full-fledged panic, Suki launched forward off the bench and grabbed Jotaro by the collar of his shirt. Kakyoin seemed to be the only one startled by this action, as he flinched from the sudden movement and his eyes widened.

"Suki, what's-"

"Hit me."

The delinquent raised an eyebrow, the only sign of his confusion.

"Come again?"

"I need you to hit me. Knock my lights out, I can't go back there!"

"So, you're _this_ scared of doctors, huh?"

"Jotaro, this isn't funny!" Letting go of the man, Suki backed up and grasped at her head, her nervous fingers having difficulty finding traction.

"No…No, _no,_ goddammit, I can't go back there! I _can't!"_ The girl's inane babbling grew in volume quickly as her fear only grew, "I've only got a bullet wound, but they're gonna do whatever they want with me when they get their rubber hands on me!"

"Suki, it's alright, Mr. Joestar trusts this doctor, you'll be fine…" Kakyoin soothed, trying to calm the girl who was scared out of her mind. These words only served to agitate her further, as she shrank back more, her back hitting the exam table.

"No…No…No, no, no, no no _no…"_ She shook violently as her breathing picked up.

"Good grief."

Looking up at the sound of Jotaro's voice, she was met only with cold eyes as she felt a blunt, heavy object make contact with the side of her head.

He had punched her, knocking her out cold.

* * *

Darkness sat in front of the girl. A thick, heavy blanket of nothing but black enveloping her, as she sat, all alone. She felt nothing. She heard nothing. There was nothing to smell or taste. All was darkness.

"…ear…Su…ki, de…"

 _Someone…Someone's …calling me…?_

A small light flickered into view. Instinctively, the girl reached out to touch it, only for her to retract her hand quickly, feeling a burning sensation.

"Suki, dear…"

Looking up, she saw her mother illuminated by the candle, her long black locks twisted into a modest ponytail that drifted over her shoulder. Any signs of stress the woman had before were completely gone, as she smiled gently at her daughter, her hazel eyes crinkling with her upturned lips. The woman extended a hand to Suki. With no hesitation, she grasped it and accepted her mother's help in pulling her up. The two women stood across from each other, looking into each other's eyes, before Ms. Kanao offered the candle she held. The daughter looked from the candle back to her mother, asking a silent question.

 _Why give me this…?_

"A mother can tell, sweetheart," Taking one of her daughter's hands, the mother placed the candle in Suki's hand, "You need this more than I do right now."

Staring curiously at the waving flame, Suki shifted her attention back to her mother. Ms. Kanao pointed forward, directing her to her next destination. Seeing the daughter hesitate, the mother walked forward and planted a gentle kiss on her lips, placing her hands on her shoulders as she observed the little ember wistfully. Locking eyes with her daughter once more, she nodded, before stepping back. Feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes, Suki took a deep breath and began to walk in the direction she had been pointed in.

The heat of the candle warmed the girl's hand, and the smell of burning wax enabled her to feel like there was air to breathe again. Her footsteps echoed in the darkness as she continued forward, and she tasted her mother's lip balm as she instinctively licked her dry lips. The candle did not provide much light, but it was enough to keep moving forward.

Eventually, Suki became sure that she saw the silhouettes of a group of people standing out much further in front of her. As she squinted her eyes to distinguish the shadows, a bright light flashed, banishing all of the previous darkness into nonexistence. Suki put a hand up to shield her eyes from the light, as a strong wind blew past her cheeks and through her hair, as the tiny flare she had been keeping with her flickered out.

* * *

The girl's eyes opened slowly, as she was blinded by the bright light sitting above her. After a moment, she turned her attention to both sides. On one side was an uninteresting wall. On the other side sat Jotaro and Kakyoin, and a man she didn't know stood next to where she lay.

"Miss Kanao, how are you feeling?"

"Uh…good? Wait…" Remembering what had happened, she dared to ask, "Is…Is it over?"

"Your arm is as good as new!"

"Oh, _thank_ God!" Her energy swiftly returning to her, Suki sat up quickly, only to nearly fall from the table as a sudden wave of dizziness hit her. Thankfully, the doctor caught her before she fell too far.

"Careful, now. We had to give you some pretty heavy painkillers so you wouldn't feel a thing, even if you did wake up."

 _Okay…Calm down…_ Suki thought, as she touched her arm, _Kakyoin was right. Mr. Joestar wouldn't have a doctor try and fix me if he was gonna turn me into a guinea pig. I can at least trust my allies._

"That bullet sure did a number on you, though. We had to-"

"I, uh, don't think she wants to hear that, Doctor," Kakyoin spoke up, smiling sheepishly.

"Ah, right, I won't bore you with the details then. You _do_ have a long journey ahead, after all," The doctor nodded, "Just know that your arm is good and fixed, and that the effects of the painkillers should be completely gone before you make it to Varanasi."

"Thank you very much," The girl shook his hand.

With that, the three exited the hospital and made their way to the bus stand.

 _That dream, though…What was that?_ Suki looked at the hand the candle had been passed into contemplatively, _I guess Mama's keeping watch over me, even though I'm far away…_

 _Ah_ , _right, I need to write my dream down..._

As the other two men walked ahead of her, she pulled out a small journal and pencil and wrote down what she had seen. Satisfied with her entry, she shut the book and placed it back in her bag.

* * *

The bus stand came into view much sooner than expected. Fortunately, they did not have to wait, as a bus was already stopped when they got there. The driver's helperman smiled as they arrived at the vehicle.

"Next stop, Varanasi?"

"That's it!"

"Three hundred rupees, each, please," The helperman stated.

Kakyoin fished into his wallet and pulled out nine-hundred rupees. Suki silently thanked Mr. Joestar for giving them a little bit more than the bus fare would normally cost, in case they ran into trouble.

 _Five thousand of anything seems to be going a little overboard, though… I can't tell if he was genuinely worried that something would happen, or if he just throws money around like it was candy,_ Suki thought as she boarded the bus, ticket in hand, _Maybe both. Who knows?_

After a moment of deliberation, Jotaro led the way to a pair of seats in the middle, claiming a spot by the window, with Kakyoin sitting next to him and Suki filling in the seat behind the two. In addition to their group of three, one more person boarded the bus, a meek, fearful-looking man. He scanned his surroundings, before deciding to sit in the very back.

After a few moments, the helperman got on the bus with his small vault in tow, and the bus pulled out onto the road.

"Guess they're not too busy at this hour…" Suki mused, having seen a larger amount of people on the bus Joseph, Polnareff, and the girl had boarded.

After a small pause, Jotaro sighed and spoke up.

"I knew you were scared of doctors, but I didn't think you were _that_ scared."

"Wha? How'd you know?" Suki asked, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes.

"Why else would you offer to keep a damn bullet in your arm?" He shook his head, "It's impossible to live normally with that."

"Well, I've heard of a prosecutor who kept a bullet in his shoulder for fifteen years just to hide evidence of a crime he committed!" Folding her arms and nodding, she claimed, "It's absolutely possible!"

"Yeah, if you're insane," He shot back, as he looked out the window and fiddled with the brim of his cap.

"Aw, come on, aren't we all secretly a _little_ mad?"

"That's something a crazy person would say."

"I am _not_ crazy!"

"Says the person who thought being thrown into the clouds was a good idea."

"Oh yeah? Well, last time I checked, _I_ wasn't the one who thought shooting a button on my jacket through an ape's forehead would solve a problem! And you say _I'm_ the crazy one?"

"Less crazy than you."

"Ugh, there is _no_ arguing with you, I swear!" Suki huffed, falling back into her seat. As Kakyoin struck up a conversation with his fellow student, Suki looked up at the moving clouds outside the window.

 _I wonder how Polnareff and Mr. Joestar are doing. Hopefully they didn't run into an enemy Stand user,_ Suki thought. She narrowed her eyes as she remembered something. _Wait. That girl was Hol Horse's lover or something, right? Maybe she's a Stand user…No… The girl shook her head, dispelling her worries, I trust their strength together. Whether or not she's an enemy Stand user, they'll be fine, I'm certain._

A few more minutes passed.

 _I wonder what time it is._

Scanning the inside of the vehicle, Suki sighed upon discovering the absence of any sort of timepiece. Looking to the back of the bus, she called out to the meek man sitting by himself.

"Excuse me, sir, do you have the time?"

Rolling up his sleeve, the man looked at his watch before reading the time off out loud.

"It's 3:04, Miss."

"Thank you," Suki smiled softly before turning back in her seat.

 _Kakyoin told me the surgery took about two and a half hours…If I've done my math correctly, then that fight with Hol Horse, Polnareff and Kakyoin's subsequent fight with J. Geil, and our second encounter with the cowboy all happened before noon,_ sitting back in her seat, the girl shook her head, _Jeez. That craziness feels like it was a whole day ago._

"Suki?"

"Hm?" The girl looked up at her name, shifting her eyes to the honor student. His expression was somber, as she asked, "What's the matter, Kakyoin?"

"Well, I wanted…to apologize, for earlier. I cannot believe that I allowed myself to think someone like you would be capable of such a heinous act…" The man stood and turned to the girl, bowing in apology, "I truly hope you can forgive me."

"I-It's fine, don't worry about it!" Suki waved her hands dismissively.

 _S-Such formality…_ Suki thought, _I'm a little overwhelmed._

"Hey, Kakyoin, sit back down. You'll fall over if we hit a bump," Jotaro warned.

"Right, s-sorry…" The redhead murmured, as he sat back down.

"You said you had gotten caught up in the heat of the moment, right? I don't blame you. So, don't worry about it, okay?" Suki spoke gently.

"But, still…!"

The thug turned to look at the honor student as he spoke.

"She said it was fine, didn't she? You don't have to keep apologizing."

Kakyoin looked between the two, his eyes settling on Suki.

"It's okay. I forgive you," The girl said with a smile.

"See? Don't worry so much."

The honor student's lips turned up in a small smile, as a small tinge of red dusted his cheeks.

"Thank you."

Suki tilted her head.

"Are you doing alright, Kakyoin? Your face is red…"

"Ah, well," He started, casting his eyes away as he twirled his stray strand of hair, "I think the heat is getting to me, is all."

The girl chose not to pry further, as Jotaro merely cast a glance at the honor student before looking out the window.

 _Talking about what happened before reminds me…_ Suki thought.

"Hey, Kakyoin?" The girl leaned forward, resting her arms on the men's seat, as she asked, "What happened after…after Abdul…?"

"Ah, right, we never did fill you in…" Kakyoin started, shifting in his seat to address both Jotaro and Suki, "Well, you see…"

* * *

"Man, I knew the trip would be long, but jeeeeeeez…" Suki whined, holding her head in one of her hands, "I think I'm going stir crazy…"

Looking outside the window, the girl could see the sun was finally beginning to set.

"It'll be alright, Suki. It shouldn't be much longer," Kakyoin reassured from his new seat behind Suki, "Mr. Joestar uses a very special transportation service. It cuts the usual ten-hour trip between Calcutta and Varanasi in half, and at no cost to safety."

"Wow, that sounds…" Suki tilted her head and folded her arms.

 _Insane? Improbable? Im…_

"Physically impossible," Jotaro deadpanned from across the aisle, laying down across one of the benches, his back against the window.

"Yeah…that…"

"Technology truly is amazing…" Kakyoin folded his arms and nodded.

 _Or ten hours doesn't mean here what it means…anywhere else, I guess…_ Suki pondered.

Suddenly, the bus pulled to a stop.

"Here we are," The driver called out.

Taking a glance out the window, Suki saw an old, decrepit warehouse, with minimal vegetation on or around it.

"'Older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together…' Uh, unless I really suck at history, this…sure doesn't look older than that. Is Varanasi supposed to look like a warehouse from the outside, or something?"

Without warning, metal collars formed into existence around the necks of Kakyoin, Jotaro, and Suki.

"This is…!"

"Wh-What the-?!" Suki yanked at the neckpiece, trying desperately to pull it off.

"I wouldn't pull at that if I were you…"

The three youths looked up from their plight to see the driver of the vehicle waving a small remote about tauntingly, a menacing grin turning up his lips.

"If you three want to live, you'll follow me inside…" With a click of his tongue, the helperman got up and followed the driver out of the bus.

The small group exchanged looks betraying worry and skepticism, before they turned to the meek man in the back, who looked to be completely paralyzed with fear, yet unaffected by the enemy Stand user. With a small sigh, Suki stood and addressed the man.

"It would probably be best if you waited here," With a nod and a smile, she reassured, "No worries, we'll take care of this!"

With that, the girl led the way off the bus into the warehouse, with the two students following close behind.

* * *

As the three walked into the warehouse, they were blinded by a variety of large, fluorescent lights. The sound of microphone feedback echoed in their ears, as a booming voice bellowed from a gargantuan boxing ring situated in the middle of the building. The bus driver stood in the middle of the ring as the three youths approached, projecting his voice to an imaginary audience with all of the gusto of an experienced stage actor.

"Ladies aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand gentlemen! I welcome you… to the twenty-third annual match of MegaTon Punch! I'm your host and heavy weight champion… Ellelle Cool Jay! However, some of my more avid fans may know me as…" The previous driver of the bus then ripped open his shirt and threw it behind him, revealing a large tattoo of a pair of crossed boxing gloves painted on his tanned chest. Proceeding to do the same to his pants, Suki breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that he was wearing boxing shorts underneath, with a large golden belt fastened around his waist. He stood up straight and pounded his chest with a closed fist, as he tossed the mic into the air, throwing his hat off behind him with a flourish, allowing a luscious mane of black locks to fall to his shoulders. Catching the microphone, he finally introduced himself.

"Majoooooooor Spriiiiiiiiing!"

Clearly this man was expecting a rousing roar from the crowd. He never got it, but continued to act as though he did, raising his arms up to goad the crowd on. Suki, Jotaro, and Kakyoin just stared on in awe, unsure whether to admire the man for his bravado or pity him for his imagination that was a little too vivid to be real. Ellelle continued to yell, stomping the ground hard with his booted foot, making the ring shake despite its size.

"These children have the _gall_ to try and fight the will of Lord Dio; however, I am not about to stoop to their level and fight dirty, so the rules will be a little different this time!" Pointing at the three entrants, he spoke with a cheesy grin, "If you can beat me two times, I'll let you go free with no consequence! However, lose once or draw to me twice…" He pointed to his neck, "And let's just say that you all will be facing quite a _…shocking_ fate!" The man put his hands on his hips and laughed, projecting his voice to the sky. Suki sighed.

 _You know, I should probably just stop questioning these things,_ the girl thought, _but, of all sports that this man could be hosting, boxing is not the first to come to mind…_

"You know," Ellelle came down from his high and shook his head, "I'm such a good sport that I'll even handicap myself a bit! You all can switch out each round if one player just isn't pulling their weight! Of course, I'll let you use your Stands, too, but that isn't so much a handicap as it is just fighting fair. After all," The man grinned widely, flashing his pearly whites, "I'll sure be using _my_ Mama SKYO to its fullest! So!" Twirling the mic like it was a parade baton, he lunged forward and pointed at the group, "Who _dares_ challenge me first?!"

Waiting a second to ensure he was truly done, Kakyoin, Suki, and Jotaro turned towards each other and gathered in a tight circle.

"So…boxing, anyone?" Suki asked, a nervous smile tugging at her lips. She wasn't sure whether to be excited or concerned anymore. Everything was happening too fast, and she couldn't keep up to save her life.

The three exchanged looks, gauging who would be best to go in first, let alone at all.

"Does this really need to be thought out?" Jotaro asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Huh? Uh, well, no…" Suki put a finger to her chin, "It's…you and Kakyoin, right?"

"What? Why me?" Kakyoin queried, genuinely surprised. Even Jotaro looked at Suki with a raised eyebrow. Suki shrank a little, wondering why they thought she had come up with the wrong answer.

"You and Jotaro have the Stands that work best in combat, right? My Stand is support only, unless he actually brings his own Stand out and shoves it in my face, which I doubt will happen," Suki put her hands on her hips to punctuate her point, "After all, your Stand is like your asshole. You can't go around showing it off to other people."

"That's…true," Kakyoin paused, turning over the last absurd yet not nonsensical statement the girl had made, "But, you and Jotaro have both had years of combat experience. Whether with your Stand or without it, you've spent years honing your bodies for battle," The redhead twirled his stray strand of hair in his fingers, "I just don't match up in terms of fighting prowess."

"…Okay," Suki finally nodded.

"I'll go in first," Jotaro turned to Suki, pointing at her, "I can take a lot of punishment. So, you just watch his moves and keep them in mind for when you tag in. Got it?"

The girl felt a thrill as she felt the beginnings of a plan flaring into existence. Putting her fists up to her chin in a show of enthusiasm, she nodded.

"You can count on me!"

Jotaro nodded back and turned, stepping towards the ring.

"Let's watch from over there," Kakyoin directed Suki's attention towards a large set of bleachers that had been placed along the wall. She nodded as she followed him, climbing up onto the middle row to get the best view of what was going on.

"Let's lay down some rules first, for those of you who are out-of-the-know!" Ellelle spoke excitedly, "Rounds are three minutes long, and, if one of the opponents is knocked to the ground for a whole ten seconds, or they are knocked out of the ring, they _lose!_ And, above all else, no outside help for the combatants in the ring! Simple, right?"

"So, the big bad Jotaro has decided to face me first!" Leaning forward slightly with his hands on his hips, Major Spring continued, "I've heard things about you, you know. Youngest member of the Joestar family at the moment, but you've got a pretty strong Stand from what I hear! You got a title you want my adoring fans to call you by?"

Jotaro put a hand on his opposite shoulder as he stretched his likely tense neck.

"Give me a break," The thug muttered, pulling his hat down by the brim, "You talk way too much."

With one fluid motion, he shrugged off his trenchcoat and threw it towards the bleachers, just in reach for Suki to catch. As she glanced back to the ring from the jacket, her eyes were blown wide open by what she saw.

 _Holy mother of…So_ that's _what you've been hiding under this?!_

The girl openly ogled the delinquent's rippling muscles that he had kept hidden under his trenchcoat, as she felt her face heat and her throat grow dry.

 _Goddamn hell in a handbasket…_

"Suki, you're supposed to be paying attention to the _fight,_ remember?" Kakyoin smirked, his tone teasing.

"Oh, I'm paying attention, all right," Suki looked back to her ally and gestured back to Jotaro, "Are you _not_ seeing _that?!"_

"I'm honestly surprised that you're this flustered," Kakyoin remarked with a chuckle, "Polnareff never wears sleeves, and he's about as muscular as Jotaro."

"Yeah, but it's like that one plot twist you know you should've expected from the start, but you still end up getting the rug pulled out from you! This is that, except with biceps and shoulder muscles that could probably bench press a steamroller!"

"Wait, Suki…" Kakyoin covered his steadily growing smile with a hand, as he pointed back to the ring. Following his gesture, Suki looked to see Jotaro standing still on his side, his arms folded as he gazed at the bleachers with a raised eyebrow.

"He can't hear me from here," Suki dismissed, pulling Jotaro's jacket into her lap and beginning to fold it neatly.

"Like what you see?" Jotaro deadpanned from across the way, making Suki's face redden like a beet. Kakyoin snickered as the girl pursed her lips.

"Can't you learn to take a compliment for once in your life?" She shouted back from the stands. With a roll of his eyes, he turned his attention back to his opponent, who had been waiting patiently for Jotaro to be ready, enjoying the show the three had put on.

"That your girlfriend or something?" Major Spring asked, pointing his thumb towards Suki.

"She wishes, apparently."

"Don't you put words in my mouth, Jotaro! I'll come down there and wipe that smirk off your face myself!"

"Well, if you won't give me a title, I'll just come up with one to give you," The Major asserted, "Hmmm…How about… 'The Kingpin of Steel…?'"

This actually seemed to give Jotaro pause, as his lips turned up ever-so-slightly.

"Maybe this isn't so bad, after all."

"Are you really gonna give this asshole the benefit of the doubt just because he gave you a cool name?!"

"Live a little, kid."

"What do you think _we're trying to do here_?!"

Suddenly, the sound of a bell rang out through the building, signifying the beginning of the fight.

"And, they're off!" Ellelle shouted, as he continued to narrate every action that occurred.

The two fighters rushed forward, as Jotaro started on the aggressive, with a focused left hook. Ellelle threw up his left arm to block, as he jabbed with his right fist. Jotaro caught the incoming punch instinctively, as he quickly moved his left arm back and went in for an uppercut.

"What a pair, folks! Neither is giving the other room straight from the get-go!" Ellelle announced.

As he did so, Star Platinum phased into view rapidly behind his user and threw out a right hook. Unable to catch both, Ellelle took the right hook but quickly dashed backwards, putting distance between himself and his opponent.

"But, it looks like the Kingpin of Steel has dealt the first blow!" The announcer shouted.

"Huh. First hit is yours, then," Major Spring admitted, working his jaw with his hand, "Smarts a bit, too. Feeling pretty good about yourself, huh?"

Jotaro remained silent, unwilling to give his opponent any banter to work with.

"Man, you…this'll be hard to sell, Jotaro. You gotta work with me if you want those fans to love you as much as me!" Major Spring advised. A grin grew on his face as he made his next point clear.

"Too bad you won't live long enough to see yourself become a hero."

Major Spring rushed forward, as he readied a blow to Jotaro's face with his left fist. The thug threw his arms up to block it, but then something bizarre happened.

"It looks like Major Spring's taking a page out of the Kingpin's book and moving on the aggressive!" Ellelle commmented.

An ethereal, sky-blue arm formed over the Major's right arm, with a bright red boxing glove where the hand would be located and a spring connecting the hand to his shoulder. Only one second was given to look at the springlike appendage wisping over his arm before it twisted and extended like a slinky being pulled by two people, as it curved and aimed straight for Jotaro's waist.

"Kingpin tries to block, but, in vain, as the Major uses his Stand to catch his opponent off guard!" The announcer continued.

"Wha-!" Jotaro summoned Star Platinum and caught the incoming fist, but another arm on Ellelle's other shoulder was undergoing the same process, extending out and attacking the undefended side of the thug. Throwing the fist he held back to its sender, Star caught the other fist, but was unable to assist as Jotaro received a brutal right hook from the user to his face. He grunted as he tried to fight back, but the springlike boxing gloves on the ends of Ellelle's Stand's arms just kept coming. All the delinquent could do was defend his vital areas as his opponent kept throwing punch after punch like two pistons on a human body.

"It looks like Major Spring's Mama SKYO has come to the rescue, bailing our hero out of a potentially sticky situation!" Ellelle called out.  
"Come on, where's that bravado from earlier? I wanna see you come at me, Kingpin!" Major Spring taunted as he continued to push Jotaro to the edge of the ring.

 _At this rate, he's gonna get a ring-out on Jotaro!_ Suki thought, biting her thumb as she watched raptly, trying to find any openings she could exploit when she stepped into the ring.

Tired of playing on defense, Jotaro summoned Star Platinum and began to punch furiously, faster than the Major could punch at him, effectively creating a wall between the two as the thug advanced forward.

"Oh, but it looks like the Kingpin is making a comeback with his own Stand! Man, can that Stand _punch!"_ The announcer exclaimed.

Suki began to hope a little that Jotaro could win this and make the situation a bit easier for her, as she leaned forward.

Suddenly, Ellelle retracted his wraithlike arms quickly and curled them into spirals that covered his sides, blocking every punch Star Platinum tried to throw. Jotaro strafed about, trying to find an opening where he could hit his opponent, but the Major kept moving the large shields in such a way that he could still block both angles of attack.

"Major Spring rises back once again, pulling out his shield technique to defend against the Kingpin of Steel's punishing attacks!"

Rising up to stand on her seat, Suki readied herself to dance. She had taken to the habit of tuning her allies' ears into her Stand's song every morning, to ensure they wouldn't go into battle unprepared, a habit that she greatly thanked herself for taking up. Summoning Knight of Cups, she began to move her arms, only for a small jolt of electricity to zap her neck.

"Ah!" She cried, falling back into her seat. Looking up, the girl could see Ellelle flash a winning smile at her.

"Suki, outside support is against the rules, remember?" Kakyoin spoke, a tinge of concern in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember _now…"_ Suki muttered, rubbing her neck.

"It's so strange, though…"

"What is?" Suki asked, returning her attention to the fight, as Jotaro foiled his opponent's attempt to grab him with a well-placed punch to one of Ellelle's hands and dashing backwards, wincing as he brought a hand up to his collared neck.

"I don't think Ellelle's Stand is the one that's controlling these collars."

"What makes you say that?" Suki winced as her ally received a jab to his stomach.

"It's just a hunch… I'm wondering why Ellelle would need a remote to control the collars' shock if he's the one making them…?"

"Maybe there's another Stand user hiding around here…?" Suki asked, lowering her voice so the enemy wouldn't catch on to what they were talking about. Star Platinum was throwing out a flurry of punches, and ending with a Star Finger to attack from a distance, but that was just blocked by Major Spring's shield. The girl then remembered who had been on the bus with them.

"Come to think of it, didn't the helperman follow Ellelle inside at his signal?" She mused, glancing over at Kakyoin to see his eyes light up.

"Yes…Yes, you're absolutely right," The student summoned Hierophant Green in the bleachers below and commanded him to search around the inside and outside of the building. As the green wraith faded into the darkness of the areas untouched by the bright stage lights, Suki leaned over to her ally.

"Won't he shock you for helping?"

"Well, I'm not necessarily _helping_ Jotaro," Kakyoin raised a finger and smirked, "At least, I'm not helping him win the fight."

 _Ah, glory be to loopholes_ , Suki thought, as she watched the clock finally run out, the bell ringing once more to mark the end of the match.

"And it looks like the first match is a draw! Of course, who's _really_ surprised? That's the most _anyone_ could get against our Major!" Ellelle announced.

"That's one draw, Jotaro. One more draw or loss, and it's bye-bye to you and your little friends," Putting his fists up in a boxing stance, Major Spring asked, "Ready for round two?"

"Pass. I'm tagging out."

"Well, someone's a killjoy. They should call you the 'Killjoy of Steel,' am I right?" Ellelle asked his imaginary audience. As Jotaro stepped out of the ring, he looked to Suki and jerked his head back, beckoning her over. Grabbing his neatly folded trenchcoat, she rushed over to the side of the ring.

As the girl got closer, she breathed a sigh of relief upon noticing that he had only received minor bruises from the scuffle; however, sweat was rolling off of him in waves, and his breathing had become considerably heavier. She didn't want to believe it, but if the match had lasted one minute more, perhaps he would've lost.

"You okay?" Suki asked out of habit.

He nodded, holding a hand out for his jacket. Ready to hand him the trenchcoat and continue walking, Jotaro stopped Suki in front of him, making sure their exchange was blocked by his body.

"What's up?"

Reaching into one of his coat pockets, the thug pulled out a lighter and handed it to the girl. He darted his eyes upward and relocked them with Suki's, making sure she understood the plan. Following his gaze without tilting her head, the girl could barely make out a small device with a glowing light amidst the bright stage lights.

 _A…smoke detector?_ Scanning the ceiling of the building, Suki then saw several sprinklers poking out among the lights. She nodded to Jotaro, his plan clear, then raised her hand. He looked at her hand curiously, raising an eyebrow. Suki rolled her eyes.

"This is how you tag in or out, right?" The girl asked with a playful grin. Jotaro sighed as he played along, tagging out by smacking her hand.

"You sure like to play along, don't you?" The thug muttered as he made his way to the bleachers.

"Says the guy who allowed the enemy to make a stage name for him," Jotaro turned back and glared at the girl for this comment, but ultimately sighed and continued on his way. Suki smirked.

 _That's Suki, one, Jotaro…I've lost count._

Climbing into the ring, she met Major Spring's grin with one of her own.

"Kiss your boyfriend goodbye?"

Suki sighed.

"You know, for all the crowd pleasing you claim to do, you sure don't know when to let a joke die."

"I'll keep it around if it makes the big bucks, and, honey, this is _quite_ the scandal."

Raising an eyebrow, Suki chuckled.

"Alright, what name have you got for me?"

"Hmm… 'The Spunky Dragon!'"

"What."

"You seem like a spunky gal, and dragons are always cool! Why not?"

"Wait, wait…I've been learning a lot lately, and one of the things I _have_ learned is that spunk is not always a good thing."

"What could you po-" The Major seemed taken aback before his smile turned into a frown, "You know, I try and keep it clean for the kiddies. I don't think you're gonna sell at _all_ with that way of thinking."

"What's wrong with the way I think?" Even from such a fair distance, she could hear Jotaro inhale, as though preparing to speak. She turned and gave him a warning glare. He shrugged and leaned back in his seat.

"Hmm…Maybe less of a 'Spunky Dragon' and more of 'The Dragon in Heat.'"

"How is that _more_ kid-friendly?! You're just making up your own rules now, aren't you?"

The bell rang again, marking the start of the match. Suki took a battle-ready stance, as Major Spring's arms sprung out to greet her.

"And it looks like they've started again, with the Major taking the initiative this time!"

Tumbling to her left, Suki dodged the incoming fists, as Ellelle rushed to close the distance between himself and his opponent.

"The Dragon dodges! Run all she can, though, she can't hide from the fearsome fists of Major Spring!" The announcer cried.

Acting on instinct, Suki ducked to avoid the punches and swung her leg out to sweep his out from under him. She succeeded, as Major Spring fell on his side. Taking the opportunity she had been given, Suki stepped onto the opponent's hip and launched herself forward to the other side of the ring.

"Oh, what a dirty trick from Miss Dragon!" Ellelle reprimanded.

"This is a _boxing_ match, little lady," Major Spring smirked, "Using your legs is against the rules."

"If it was against the rules, why didn't you bring it up earlier?" Suki asked with a shrug, "Pretty big oversight from a self-proclaimed boxing champ, in my opinion."

"Huh… Hahaha!" Major Spring laughed as he picked himself up, "You aren't wrong, little lady. Okay, we're keeping 'Spunky Dragon.' You're gonna be 'The Spunky Dragon with Deadly Legs!'"

Hopping from foot to foot, Suki smirked.

 _"Now_ you're speaking my language!"

Sparing a glance out at the bleachers, she saw Kakyoin and Jotaro watching with rapt attention. Making eye contact with the redhead, he smiled and nodded.

 _Does…Does he have a plan?_

Her attention was diverted as Jotaro gestured, pointing back at the ring. Cocking her head to the side, she was unable to react fast enough as a spring punch clocked her right in the jaw, flinging her back.

"What a clean hit from our dear Major!" Ellelle announced.

Suki adopted a catlike stance as she skidded to a stop, just short of the end of the ring, before casting a glance back up at the clock.

 _One minute, thirty seconds left…_

Major Spring threw a springy jab at the girl as she stood up. Reacting in defense, she leaned back far enough that her spine cried out at her, the fist barely brushing the tip of her nose.

 _Wait…this is my chance!_

Grabbing onto his fist with both hands, Suki latched her entire body onto his Stand's hand as the spring retracted, pulling her to her opponent quickly.

"What in heaven's name…! What kind of tactic is this?! She's latching on to the Major's fist like an octopus!" The announcer exclaimed.

As she was dragged back, Suki let go, lining herself up to shoot between the man's legs like a rocket. Just as she reached Ellelle, he brought his other fist up to punch her as she flew under.

"Major Spring is winding up…" Ellelle started.

The man barely grazed the top of her head as she shot under him.

"Ooh, so close! The Deadly-Legged Dragon just _barely_ dodged!" The announcer yelled.

The spring arm connected with the ground just as Suki turned her feet out to stop herself and shot Knight of Cups into a large drop of sweat that dripped down his neck. The spring arm caused the Major to slingshot himself into the air.

"That missed punch is flinging Major Spring into the air! What a development!" Ellelle called.

Positioning herself under the man in the air, Suki removed the lighter from the one place she could think to put it and threw it up into the air.

"Knight! _Now!"_

"What's the Spunky Dragon planning with _this_ tactic?!" The announcer shouted.

Knight of Cups emerged from the sweat on Ellelle's neck with a bit of difficulty, managing to dash out and catch the lighter, flicking it open and holding it up to the smoke detector.

"A new Stand has appeared! It must be the Spunky Dragon's, but for what purpose does it act?!" Ellelle announced.

High pitched sirens wailed as the sprinklers turned on, drenching the warehouse with a steady supply of water. Calling Knight of Cups back behind her, Major Spring landed harshly on his legs, gritting his teeth at the girl.

"Alright, so you got me wet. Good job," Major Spring griped. "Now what?"

"Now _this!"_

Suki gathered the water into two large boxing gloves, rushing headlong into her opponent, shoving him in his distracted state with her abdomen. The push from such a distanced dash caused Ellelle to stumble back just far enough that he tottered at the edge of the ring. Suki finished her dash with a well-placed jab to his torso, pushing him the rest of the way out of the ring.

"'Deadly Legs,' indeed! That's _some_ lower body strength, if she can push our dear Major like he was a simple sheep! Looks like the Kingpin's team has managed a win from Major Spring!" Ellelle observed.

The bell rang, signifying the end of the second match.

 _I…I actually won?_

She looked to the bleachers to see Kakyoin smiling and nodding, as Jotaro, with no change in expression, gave her a thumbs up. The girl flashed a self-satisfied smirk.

"Tch, you got one win. Big whoop. You gotta beat me _twice_ to win, remember?" The Major spoke.

"Oh, I remember well enough, my dear Major," Suki adopted her usual lithe stance as she taunted him, "Come on, let's finish this!"

"Heh, with pleasure!" The Major agreed.

The girl backed up, keeping her gloves close, as she waited for Ellelle to climb back into the ring. The bell rang once more, and the two fighters rushed each other. Blow followed blow, neither party caring about defense as they whaled into each other, Suki following a left hook with a right uppercut as Ellelle gave a jab to her stomach and face.

"What a brutal showcase! Who knew such a little girl could fight with the beast that is the Major?!" Ellelle exclaimed.

Finally taking notice of how beat up he was becoming, Major Spring threw up his shields, blocking all of Suki's incoming blows. Little did he know that a new challenger was approaching at mach speed. Ellelle noticed just in time to guard against Jotaro's right hook, his fist slamming against the shield.

"You-what?!" Major Spring cried out.

"A new challenger has entered the ring! Isn't that against the rules?!" The announcer shouted.

Suki and Jotaro nodded at each other before summoning their Stands, Knight of Cups manifesting from sprinkler water still coating the floor with the same watery boxing gloves Suki wore.

"Special Technique!" Suki called out, as Knight of Cups and Star Platinum each readied a brutal uppercut, as they floated back-to-back, "Steel Dragon's Fist!" The two Stands unleashed the attack with a synchronized battle cry, sending Ellelle flying in an arc, as he landed on the ground outside of the ring once more.

The two youths climbed out of the ring, making their way over to the downed fighter, as he glared up at them.

"You…You…! Cheaters! You two cheated! You know what that means…?!" Ellelle pulled the remote control out of his pocket and prepared to press the button.

"On the contrary. They were fighting like you were," Kakyoin explained, as he walked out of the shadows near the bleachers, an unsympathetic look on his face, "If anything, _you_ cheated first."

"Such accusations! Will our poor Major never know rest?!" Ellelle cried.

"What are you talking about?! I fought fair the whole time!" Major Spring asserted.

"Are you sure?" Kakyoin asked, tilting his head and putting a hand on his hip, "I think your little friend here has a different claim to make."

Hierophant Green emerged from the shadows, retracting its tentacles quickly to reveal the helperman they had seen on the bus before, tied up and unconscious.

"I found this man up in the rafters. He's the one with the Stand that made those collars," Kakyoin asserted, pointing at his neck, which was now bare. Suki looked at her own neck and realized that the metal necklace had disappeared. At what point, she was unsure, but it was gone, and that was all that mattered.

"But…But he didn't do anything during the fight!" Major Spring argued.

"Well, I'm not sure how much faith your friend had in your ability to win," Casting a look at Jotaro, he continued, "Jotaro commented that he felt sparking in his neck while he was fighting you, which is why he couldn't fight as well as he's accustomed to. That's when it all clicked," Kakyoin pointed at Ellelle in accusation, "You were accepting outside help, _cheating_ from the very beginning!"

"Wh-What a scandal! Our dear Major, accused of _cheating_ during a bona fide match!" Ellelle announced.

"It's time to stop," Suki deadpanned, as she kicked the remote control out of the boxer's hand and stepped on it, a satisfying crunch reverberating through the empty warehouse.

"Man, and I thought you'd actually been a fair fighter," The girl shook her head and shrugged. Placing a hand on her hip, she looked down at Ellelle with no sympathy, "Guess it just goes to show, you have to _be_ a scumbag to serve one faithfully with no questions asked."

"What shall we do?" Kakyoin asked, a calm smile on his lips, as though he had only asked how the weather was.

"Well," Looking to Jotaro, Suki smiled mischievously, "I bet you'd like to give this chump a taste of his own medicine, huh?"

"Absolutely," The thug replied, cracking his knuckles.

"No, please, wait, have mercy!" The cheater cried out frantically, as Kakyoin curled Hierophant Green's tendrils about the enemy's body, holding him up as one large target for Jotaro to lay into. Suki chuckled and walked to the side, as her allies gave her confused looks.

"What are you planning, Suki?" Kakyoin asked.

"Oh, just something I've had in the works for a little while…" She made eye contact with Jotaro and smirked, "Finishing moves are supposed to be _powerful,_ right? What if we ramped it up a bit…?"

With that, a song began to play in Jotaro's and Kakyoin's minds. It had no lyrics, but it was a fast-paced, adrenaline pumping track with a prevalent guitar riff that pushed the tune forward into thrills and chills. Suki danced frenetically to the song, spinning as she pushed pure energy through the veins of her comrades, feeling the surge of power she was creating and passing on. Contrary to her expectations, Jotaro's shoulders began to shake, as he bowed his head slightly. The girl was about to stop and ask what was wrong, before a small noise reached her ears, something she never expected to hear.

 _L-Laughter…?_

Jotaro tilted his head back and laughed at the sky, holding his forehead with one hand.

 _I…I made him laugh!_

Suki smiled, finding the laughs of her ally genuinely contagious as she found herself giggling. Kakyoin was not immune either, as he joined in to the growing cacophony of laughter. Finally coming down, Jotaro took a deep breath, raising an eyebrow at Suki, the remnants of his laughter still clear on his face.

"You, you're one crazy chick, you know that?"

"Well, you don't have a problem with that, do you?"

Turning his cold gaze back to his enemy with an unsympathetic smirk, he answered.

"Not at all."

Star Platinum launched out of him and laid into Ellelle with blow after punishing blow. The flurry of punches just wouldn't seem to stop, until he ended with one final uppercut, sending the Major flying through the roof up into the sky.

"That's a ring-out!" Suki cried out, stopping her dance upon seeing the enemy had flown up and away.

"Varanasi, then?" Kakyoin suggested.

"Yeah, let's make like a tree and fuck off, before that crazy helperman wakes up," Suki agreed, running towards the door with her allies close behind.

* * *

Thankfully, it seemed like the shenanigans of the battle in the warehouse had not reached the meek man, as he still cowered in the back of the bus. Rushing into the vehicle first, Suki reassured the man of their victory, putting her hands on her hips.

"Don't worry, sir, it's all taken care of! Next stop, Varanasi!"

"Uhm…How?" The meek man asked.

 _Good question…_

As Jotaro and Kakyoin entered the vehicle, Suki called out to the honor student.

"Kakyoin, you can drive, can't you?

"A bus is a bit of a different beast from a normal car, Suki…"  
"That's quitter's talk! People who upgrade from bicycles to motorcycles get along just fine, so why can't you upgrade?"

"Suki, that's completely implausible!"

"I-I can drive you all," The meek man stuttered. He offered a shy smile as he continued, "I know the way, and I've driven buses before. It'll be a bit of a trip, I must warn you, though. But, at the speed this bus goes, it shouldn't be more than two hours."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Suki shook the man's hand in thanks, as he walked to the front of the vehicle.

"Ah, before I forget," Kakyoin added, fishing the key to the bus out of his pocket, "Here's the key."  
"Thank you, sir!" The meek man thanked.

"Wait, where…?" Suki asked.

"I found it in the driver's discarded pants while I was scouting about for the second Stand user."

"Man, Kakyoin, you sure are a forward-thinker!"

"That's just normal thought."

"Jotaro, I just-" Suki sighed, "Jeez, you won't ever quit, will you?"

"Nope."

The bus started and, after a few minutes, the three youths and their driver were on the road again. Kakyoin, Suki, and Jotaro all stretched out over the seats, reclining on the somewhat comfortable chairs as their backs pressed against the window, their bodies exhausted from the strain of the day. Suki sat in the bench in front of Jotaro, as the thug sat across from the honor student. A few moments passed before Suki reached into her satchel and pulled out a small cardboard box, one of the four she had procured all the way back at the convenience store in Singapore. Raising his eyebrows at the sight of the familiar box, Jotaro called out to the driver.

"Hey, you're not allergic to smoke, are you?"

"Not at all, sir! Please, go ahead."

"Thanks."

Suki, having turned her attention to the voice of the man behind her, talked around the small white stick she had placed in her mouth.

"You want one?" She asked.

"Hell yes."

"Help yourself," The girl said with a small smile, as she held the box out to her companion.

"I needed this," Jotaro admitted, pulling out the lighter he had retrieved before they had left the building.

"Jotaro, Suki, it's against the law to smoke on public transportation," Kakyoin reprimanded, crossing his arms. Suki took the cigarette out of her mouth to respond, but Jotaro beat her to the punch.

"Who's gonna arrest me on an already stolen bus?"

Suki shrugged, putting the cigarette back in her mouth.

"He's got a point."

Kakyoin sighed. As Jotaro worked to flick open the lighter, he placed the cigarette in his mouth; however, as soon as the stick touched his tongue, he knew something was wrong. The familiar taste of tobacco was nowhere to be found, replaced with an uncanny sweetness that tasted like…

"Chocolate?" Jotaro asked, pulling the stick out of his mouth and looking at Suki quizzically.

"Yeah, chocolate cigarettes," Suki explained, shrugging, "They're sticks of chocolate wrapped in edible paper."

Looking from the stick to the girl, Jotaro made his opinion loud and clear.

"So, you're saying they're a lie."

"Chocolate isn't a lie! Well, I mean…" Suki put a finger to her chin and tilted her head, "My brother always told me to hand him one of these if he needed a cigarette. He wanted to get off smoking, so he had me hold onto those. I really liked the taste, so, even if he didn't need one, I'd still eat them."

"Trading one habit for another?" Kakyoin queried.

"He…never really got into sweets…Not like I did, at least."

"Well, I know now not to ask _you_ for a smoke," Jotaro asserted, as he reached into his trenchcoat pocket and pulled out his own cigarettes.

"Fine by me. More chocolate for me, then," Suki looked to the thug's hand, seeing it still carried the chocolate, "Hey, give that here. If you're not gonna eat it, don't let it go to waste."

Jotaro handed her the chocolate, which she quickly allowed to join the first chocolate cigarette she had already placed between her lips.

"You don't care that it was already in my mouth?"

Suki smirked at her ally.

"What, you afraid of giving me cooties or something?"

"No, just didn't know if germs freaked you out or not."

"Well, they don't," Suki twirled the sticks in her mouth as she thought aloud, "Though, maybe I could get some of your germs and be able to bench press a steam roller."

"I think you mean _genes,_ Suki. Not germs," Kakyoin corrected from across the aisle.

"Well, maybe he has those good genes _in_ the germs. I dunno, I was never good at biology," Suki mused nonsensically. The exhaustion of the day was hitting her hard, and yet she found she just couldn't fall asleep. Seeing Jotaro staring at the ceiling with a lit cigarette poking between his lips, as the smell of smoke and tobacco began to fill the air, flowing out the open window behind him, Suki joined her gaze with his.

"Mr. Joestar and Polnareff… Was their afternoon as hectic as ours, I wonder…?" Looking over to ask Jotaro for an answer with her eyes, she saw that the cigarette he had had in his mouth had disappeared. About to ask where it had gone, she leaned up and put her arms on the back of her chair, only to notice that, on closer inspection, smoke was drifting out of his nose. Suki turned her attention briefly to Kakyoin, who seemed just as confused as she was, before turning back and seeing Jotaro flip the cigarette back out of his mouth, the burning end still intact. The girl's eyes widened.

"How'd you do that?!" Suki marveled, her eyes lighting up in the dark bus. Jotaro smirked.

"Kid, you haven't seen _anything_ yet."

"Oh ho, _now_ you've got my attention."

Jotaro pulled out the box of cigarettes in his pocket and readied his lighter.

"You have to buy me another box if you want me to do this."

The girl nodded.

"It's a deal!"

Suki and Kakyoin leaned forward and watched as Jotaro continued to entertain them with his cigarette trick. In the back of her mind, the girl couldn't help but feel that Mr. Joestar had picked the right people to accompany her to the hospital that day.

* * *

"Oh, woooooow!" Suki spoke in awe as she gazed upon the river Ganges. As night had long since fallen, several little lights drifted along the waves of the body of water, slowly making their way along with the flow.

"If you folks are here for a visit, you should take part in the ceremony," The meek driver commented.

"Ceremony?" Suki asked.

 _The northern city of Varanasi, the holiest city in India, carries a magical atmosphere, an atmosphere that multiplies tenfold as darkness falls. Dusk ushers forth the Ganga Aarti ceremony, wherein small offerings are made to the Goddess Ganga. Aartis, devotional rituals using fire, are created commonly from a small candle placed inside a cup fashioned from leaves and flowers and sent to float down the river. This ritual occurs every day; and yet, it never once loses its magic or its intensity._

The bus finally pulled to a stop, as the meek man opened the door for the three youths to disembark. Pulling up the rear, Suki was about to get off, but the meek man stopped her. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a small cup with a candle placed inside.

"Here, use this," The man offered with a smile.

"I…I can't take this from you. Aren't you going to use this to participate in the ceremony?"  
The man shook his head.

"I'm probably gonna be spending all night getting this bus back where it belongs. I don't think I'll have time anyway. Besides," The man scratched the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly, "After what you kids have been through today, you deserve a wish."

"Did…Did you say 'wish'?" Suki asked, her eyes glittering.

The man proceeded to explain how to participate in the ceremony with the little candle boat.

"Thank you again, mister!" Suki waved from the sidewalk.

"No problem. Safe travels!" The man bade farewell, as he closed the bus door and drove out of sight down the street.

The three walked along the streets that were slowly silencing, as Suki looked at the cute boat in her hand and mused about how one could find random kindness in the strangest of places.

"Do you two want to make a wish?" She asked, looking between the two men in front of her.

"That guy gave the boat to you, didn't he? You make the wish," Jotaro responded without turning around.

"You sure?"

"We'll just watch. Thank you, though," Kakyoin turned with a gentle smile as he replied.

Suki, Kakyoin, and Jotaro continued to walk towards the nearest hotel, as the girl returned her gaze to the aarti, wondering what she could wish for.

"Psssst!"

"Hm?" Suki stopped upon hearing a noise.

"Psssssssssssssst!"

Turning towards the noise, she looked down a dark alley with a tilted head.

"Hello?"

A silhouette of a man came closer to the girl as she stood there curiously.

"She doesn't want drugs, old man," Jotaro claimed, walking back from where he and Kakyoin had stopped upon noticing they were one person short.

Squinting into the darkness, Suki could just barely make out not one, but two shadows. And both seemed very familiar to the girl.

"Mr…Joestar? And…Is that Polnareff with you?"

"Shhhh!" Mr. Joestar shushed, looking left and right as he whispered to the three youths, "Listen, don't panic, but the police are after me."

"The police are-!" Suki was swiftly silenced by Jotaro pushing a hand over her mouth. She pouted up at him as he spoke quietly.

"What'd you do _this time_ , old man?"

"It's…" Joseph sighed, "It's a long story. I'll tell you later, but, for now, meet us at the clearing near the Ganges. I called a Speedwagon agent to deliver a car there. It's dark blue, you can't miss it."

With that, he and the other silhouette, presumably Polnareff, disappeared back into the alley. The three youths looked at each other skeptically before they headed off in the direction of the Ganges clearing.

* * *

"And here I thought we'd finally be able to sleep in a bed," Kakyoin sighed, as he stared out into the dark Ganges. The river was illuminated by nothing more than the yellow moon hanging just above it, as the three youths stood looking into the cascading darkness.

"Yeah," Suki agreed, stretching her arms above her and yawning, "Would've been real nice, too, after the day we've had…"

"Maybe if the old man hadn't screwed up and gotten cops chasing him down," Jotaro muttered. Suki tilted her head back and forth, wondering what Mr. Joestar could've possibly done to become a wanted criminal in Varanasi in less than a day. The old man made his way over to the group lounging by the river after speaking to the Speedwagon agent who had brought the car.

"I took care of things. Polnareff, you can do the driving," Joseph called out to Polnareff, as he tossed the key in his direction. The key landed in the Frenchman's hair, sticking straight up, as the old man remarked, "Hey, are you still in shock? I was the one attacked by the Stand."

Polnareff sulked on the side of the river, not even seeming to notice the little metal object now stuck in his hair.

"I'd rather have gone through that…"

Suki's expression drooped slightly as she took full notice of her friend's depression. Her eyes lit up again when she remembered something, as she fished into her bag and pulled something out. She dropped her bag by the two students as she rushed to stand in front of the sorrowful man.

"Pol~na~reff!" She lilted with a shy smile, her hands grasping the small object behind her back. She swore she saw the man's lips quirk up slightly, before he cast his gaze down again and continued to sulk.

"What is it?"

Nighttime made it difficult to see, but the light of the moon was just enough to reveal the small candle in a boat the girl held. Suki grinned.

"Uhm, will you make a wish with me?"

This seemed to briefly snap the man out of his sad state, as he quirked an eyebrow.

"How will that work? You've only got one boat, right?"

"Well, yeah, but…" Scratching her cheek and blushing, she suggested, "Maybe…We can agree on a wish. Wishes…lose their magic if other people know, but…" Suki smiled sheepishly, "I think it will be okay, if we agree not to tell anyone."

Polnareff seemed confused and unable to move. The girl decided to help him.

"Come on, let's go over here!" Suki took his hand and pulled him up, leading him closer to the water as she knelt down and patted the ground in front of her, beckoning him down to her level. Catching the eyes of the other three men in the group, seeing they were watching the two members by the river, she called out to them.

"You want to make a wish, too?"

"It's alright, you two have fun," Joseph responded with a grin. Returning her own gentle smile, the girl looked back to the man standing in front of her.

"What do you wanna wish for?"

"What? It's your boat," Polnareff said, as he knelt down in front of her.

"Yeah, but you seem sad. You should get to suggest the wish first."

As the two deliberated quietly over what they would wish for, Joseph, Jotaro and Kakyoin watched from afar.

"You sure we shouldn't tell them, old man?" Jotaro asked, without even glancing at his grandfather. The old man sighed before speaking up.

"They'll figure it out soon enough. Besides," He watched the girl smile brightly at her friend, as the beginnings of a smile formed on Polnareff's face, beginning to recover from all of the hardship of the day, "I think they're doing pretty well together, right now."

"Tell them what?" Kakyoin asked.

"Ah, right, we didn't tell you…"

Joseph turned to Kakyoin and began to explain the secret he was keeping from the two on the coast. After they finished discussing the secret, Suki dashed over from where she was sitting and looked at Jotaro with pleading eyes.

"Could I borrow your lighter, please?" She asked innocently. The thug nodded and acquiesced, handing her the small metal device. Suki nodded and smiled as she returned to Polnareff and the small boat. Kakyoin nodded after seeing her run back to the coast.

"This is fine," He murmured.

"Suki."

The girl looked up at the man who had called her name, the flame from the lighter inches away from the wick of the candle.

"Can…Can I say something?"

She nodded.

"I'm…I'm sorry."

The girl clicked the lighter shut with a confused expression.

"I wanted to say…" Polnareff took a breath before continuing, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I thought you had killed Abdul, and I'm sorry I assumed that you…that you loved him. I was…I was an ass. And I'm sorry."

Suki's mouth fell open slightly as she processed his words. She stared down at the little candle before responding.

"You…You weren't wrong."

"Huh?"

"I…I guess I still haven't put the trust in myself that you guys have…I feel like I still could've done more to keep him alive…I…I wanted to save him, but, in the end…I just wasn't strong enough…In a way…I am responsible for that…

"In some way…I think I _did_ love him. He was kind, and he made me feel safe. I don't…I don't really remember my Papa all that well, but… I'd like to think he was kind of like Abdul…He was…He was kind of like the dad I never had…So," Suki looked up at Polnareff with a sad smile, "You weren't wrong. In either assumption."

Something in her eyes caught Polnareff's attention. There were no tears, or any sign of them. There was just an empty sadness. On pure instinct, he reached over and pulled the girl into a gentle embrace.

"P-Polnareff, what are you…?"

"Please, don't blame yourself, okay? Please?" The man remembered the small exchange Abdul and Suki had had before they had arrived in Calcutta, and their interactions from then on, "Abdul, I'm sure…I'm sure he cared about you just as much as you cared about him. He wouldn't want you to blame yourself for something that was out of your control. So…please…?"

Looking up at Polnareff, Suki finally turned her gaze back to the shadowed Ganges, as she rested her head on his shoulder. No tears fell as she closed her eyes and nodded.

"Okay. I believe you."

Putting his hands on her shoulders, Polnareff gently moved Suki back to arm's length, as he gave her a genuine smile.

"Now, let's make that wish."

The girl's gentle smile returned, as she nodded.

"Yeah."

The candle was lit, and Suki held the tiny boat in her hands, observing the tiny, flickering ember. She turned her eyes up to the man in front of her in a pleading gaze.

"Send it off with me?"

He nodded and placed his hands under hers, as they gently guided the small boat into the water. After giving it a little push, the small light slowly moved out towards the middle of the body of water, floating down the calm Ganges.

"We have to watch it until it disappears, remember?" Suki asked.

"I remember."

As they watched the tiny candle disappear down the river, a small breeze blew by. All of the emotions that had been experienced that day finally seemed to catch up with the silver-haired man, as he felt tears begin to spill down his cheeks. After making sure the candle was gone, Suki reached an arm out to the man beside her, beckoning him over without a word. Polnareff embraced the girl again, but this time, he felt a distinct wetness seep through his shirt.

"Do you think he got the wish, Polnareff?" Suki's voice wavered.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure he got it," Polnareff assured, unable to control the shakiness in his own voice.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl under that bright moon, as the two mourned their lost friend, and yet, wished him all the best as he watched them continue their long, arduous journey.

* * *

Chapter Seven – Dio Said Knock You Out

-END-

|To Be Continued|\|/

* * *

 **So, if you haven't guessed yet, Ace Attorney played a big part in inspiring me to insert all of these references to different things in my story. XD Hopefully, they haven't gotten on anyone's nerves yet...Hope you all enjoyed this really weird chapter, it was a blast to write! Hopefully I will be on time with my post next week! -BlueBow**


	9. Chapter 8 - Shut Up and Drive

**WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by another warning right beforehand, and another line right where the explicit scene ends. You have been warned.**

 **Take that, time! I was on time this week! :D**

 **With my self-satisfaction at my punctuality out of the way, on with the chapter!**

* * *

"Alright, Suki, we are on our way to the next…?"

"C, O… U, N, T, R, Y. The next country."

"Right. And what is Polnareff doing to get us there?"

"D, R, I, V, I, N, G. He's driving to get us there."

"Very good!"

Suki smiled. The trip to Pakistan had proven to be a longwinded one so far, and the girl found she could barely write coherently with the bumpy road rolling under the wheels. As such, Kakyoin suggested she spell words out orally instead of writing them. Her improvement in understanding how the sounds of words related to the spelling was making itself quite clear.

"Alright, now what is Polnareff driving to get us to Pakistan?"

"Uh, hmm…" Suki crossed her arms and tilted her head back and forth, closing her eyes in thought. Kakyoin wondered what was giving the girl so much trouble, and even Joseph and Jotaro, who sat on either side of her, understood the simplicity of the answer, until she began to speak.

"A, U, T, O, M, O, B, E, E, L…?" Looking at her tutor, she scratched her head, as she spoke again in an unconvinced tone, "…E?"

"Automobile?" Joseph asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, 'car' would be the easy way out! I can't learn if I don't test my limits!" Suki scratched her cheek embarrassedly, feeling her face heat up, "Uhm…How close did I get…?"

"It's B, I, L, E, at the end, Suki. Everything else up to that point was correct," Suki sighed at Kakyoin's reassurance, before he turned forward in his seat and suggested, "Let's take a break for now."

"Okay!" Suki nodded.

"Soon we'll reach the Indo-Pakistani border…" Kakyoin spoke somewhat wistfully, "We'll be saying goodbye to India very soon."

"Indeed." Joseph agreed, "At first I wondered what kind of country we'd walked into, but now I miss the hustle and bustle of Calcutta, and the rushing waters of the Ganges."

Jotaro nodded.

"I wish I could've seen more of Varanasi," Suki folded her arms and leaned back, closing her eyes, "I didn't get to see much of it, and it's a real shame. It has this strange, alluring atmosphere."

 _Maybe I'll go there with Mama and Big Bro, once all of this is over,_ Suki smiled gently as she thought, _I can show Mama that India_ won't _eat me alive, after all._

"I'll be coming back again," Polnareff spoke from the driver's seat, "So I can make Abdul a proper grave."

Everyone went silent at this statement. Suki raised her right hand in front of her face and stared at it, before clenching it into a fist and letting it fall back into her lap.

"The road's getting narrower."

As Polnareff made this announcement, an old-looking, small red car pulled into view, going much slower than their own vehicle. The red automobile kicked up thick clouds of dust and dirt, which flew into the Frenchman's face.

"Stop driving so slow! You're in the way!" Polnareff commented angrily amidst a small coughing fit, "I'm gonna pass them."

Their own car pulled around the slower vehicle on the narrow road, barely missing the rock wall on the right as they passed.

"Polnareff, you're being reckless!" Kakyoin called out, his expression stern.

"The four-wheel drive is great!" The driver expressed with a snicker.

"Hey, do you think that might've flung pebbles at their car?" Joseph questioned, casting his gaze through the rear window.

"Who knows? It could have," Polnareff acknowledged, speaking with a carefree tone, as though they were discussing something as trivial as the chances of rain.

Joseph shook his head.

"We don't need any trouble or accidents right now. I'm wanted because of what happened in Varanasi, you know. I'd like to get across the border safely."

Suddenly, Polnareff slammed on the brakes, causing the van to jerk violently to a stop. Joseph leaned forward, trying to get a look out the window.

"What's the matter, Polnareff?" Kakyoin asked, his tone leaning more towards irritability than genuine concern.

"I just told you we didn't need accidents!"

"N-No, look!" Polnareff spoke, pointing out the front window, "Look who's standing over there!"

Everyone pointed their gaze in the direction Polnareff was looking. What sat in front of the group was a sign that read "Service Area Ahead" in all caps. In front of that sign stood a small child, wearing a cloudy pink shirt, light blue overalls, a brown cap, and a large backpack. The kid raised a hand in a thumbs-up. While not every place on the planet shared this signal for hitchhiking, it was clear the adolescent needed a ride.

 _Who is…?_ Suki wondered, _Wait. I recognize that outfit._

"Good grief…" Jotaro muttered, pulling his cap down further on his head.

"You…Are you kidding me?" Suki asked rhetorically.

The familiar child pulled off her cap to reveal Anne, flashing a peace sign.

"Hey! Looks like we meet again. Give me a lift?" The small child made eye contact with Suki through the front window and grinned smugly, as if to say she knew she would deny any semblance Suki had of leaving her behind.

Everyone looked out at Anne with expressions of confusion.

"Well, Polnareff," Suki leaned forward to look at the driver, her expression warning as she made eye contact, "We looked, and we saw. Can we please get back to driving?"

* * *

 _I hate all of you._

Suki thought venomously, as she glared at the girl now sitting in her lap. Of course, she wouldn't have expected her group to just leave the kid on the side of the road, but maybe if she had hoped strongly enough, maybe, _just maybe_ , they would've chosen to be jerks for one day in their lives and would've left the kid out there. She'd be in a safer place than she would be with them, that much was certain. But, no. Now, because she was the only girl on the journey, she was forced to be the seat for this kid who would never understand the meaning of "danger."

"I mean, I'm a girl," Anne spoke as they drove on, "Soon I'll be wearing a bra, and doing my nails for the boys. I'd look pathetic wandering around the world when I'm that age."

Suki's mouth fell agape at the audacity of this statement. Whether it was directed at her or not, she had shot past the realm of offended and landed in the pool of humiliation, as she dug her fingernails harshly into her palms. Seeing her anger clear as day, Jotaro summoned Star Platinum right behind her as a warning not to act out of turn. Suki called Knight of Cups out silently, and the wraith raised a hand, as though to say she could still control herself. The youth sighed as the child rambled on.

"This is the only chance I have!" Anne continued, "Right now! To run away from home and see the world…Don't you think so?"

"No. No, we don't," Suki shook her head, unwilling to entertain such a vapid thought.

Anne simply ignored her as she blathered on.

"I mean, I feel bad for lying about going to see my dad in Singapore, but let's just forget that."

"It's not that easy, kid. We're not gonna forget just because you told us to," Suki waved her hand dismissively as she spoke.

"Who're you calling kid?" The kid shot back.

A car horn was heard honking loudly behind them, as everyone turned to see the red car from before pulling up right behind their own vehicle.

"It's the car we passed earlier. Looks like they're in a hurry," Jotaro remarked.

"Let them pass," Joseph suggested, turning his attention back to the front.

"Yeah…" Polnareff reluctantly agreed, as he put his arm out the window and signaled for the automobile behind them to move ahead.

As the red machine passed them, Suki blinked as she watched the car, uncertain of the validity of what she was seeing. The car then pulled right in front of theirs and slowed down.

"Hey, now!" Polnareff shouted.

Everyone began to cough from the dust being kicked up by the car in front, as Polnareff banged his fist on the side of the steering wheel.

"What are they trying to do? I let you pass, so hurry up and go."

Despite the Frenchman's best efforts to steer their van around the other car, there was just not enough space to pass by.

"Maybe they're mad because you were so reckless earlier," Kakyoin commented.

"Did you see the driver's face?" Jotaro asked Polnareff, as he leaned forward in his seat.

"No…Maybe it's because of all the dust on the window, but I couldn't see them."

"So you couldn't, either…"

"You don't think it could be…?" Suki suggested, turning towards the delinquent with an apprehensive look.

Jotaro leaned back in his seat.

"No, it couldn't be…"

"Be careful, Polnareff," Joseph warned.

The driver-side-window on the car in front then opened, as a muscular arm with a dark wristband reached out and signaled for their group to pass.

"Now he's telling me to pass!" Polnareff scoffed, "Looks like he remembered how shitty his car is. You should have just stayed behind me in the first place, dumbass."

They passed safely, only for a large truck to come out of nowhere, on a crash course with their own van.

"What?!" Polnareff yelled in surprise, as the horn of the large vehicle blared at an eardrum-shattering volume. The truck was approaching much too quickly for any evasive or defensive measures to be taken, looming closer and closer with each passing nanosecond.

"A truck? That's impossible!"

"It's no use! We're going to crash!"

Suki covered her head and braced herself for the oncoming impact, unable to attribute voices to identities in the overwhelming confusion. Suddenly, one voice rang out beside her, the only one she could put a face to, due to the familiar command he spoke.

"Star Platinum!"

Star Platinum came out just in time to punch the truck, the fronts of both vehicles mere inches apart. The force of the impact happening so close caused their car to flip up into the air, over to the side, landing right side up, as the truck was launched back by the punch.

"Th-That was close!" Polnareff breathed a sigh of relief, "If it weren't for Star Platinum's power, we would have been crushed."

"Where is it?! Where's that car?" Joseph asked, looking about frantically.

"Looks like it took off," Jotaro spoke, before turning his attention to the rest of the group, "Do you think that car's driver might be one of the Stand users that are after us? Or do you think it's just some random asshole?"

"Of course it's someone who's after us! We were almost killed!" Polnareff claimed, as he and Kakyoin shifted in their seats to discuss the issue with their group members.

"But there hasn't been anything like a Stand attack yet," Kakyoin noted.

Suki folded her arms and pinched her bottom lip between her teeth, narrowing her eyes as she racked her brain.

"Did you see something?" Jotaro asked, snapping Suki out of her deliberation.

"Well…It's not anything conclusive…" The girl raised a finger as she explained what she had witnessed, "But, when that car passed, it looked like it was…glowing."

"Glowing, you say…?" Kakyoin folded his arms, bowing his head in thought.

"Like I said, it's nothing conclusive," Suki scratched her head, "It could've just been the sun glinting off the metal, or my eyes could've just been playing tricks on me."

"Anyway," Joseph brought everyone's attention back, as Polnareff started the car again, "All we can do is be careful as we head for the border. If someone comes after us again, we'll just take them down, no matter who they are."

"Yeah," The Frenchman agreed.

"What should we do about that truck?" Kakyoin asked, jerking his thumb towards the truck, "Star Platinum punched it, so it's pretty messed up."

Jotaro pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes.

"Just pretend you never saw it. Ignore it."

Anne ogled the man openly. Finding humor in this moment, Suki snorted.

"Wow, okay Cool Guy," She waved her hands in front of her face, as though to dispel what she had witnessed as a mere illusion, "We didn't see anything."

"Hey, quit making fun of him!" Anne spat, genuine anger crossing her features.

"It was a _joke_. Jeez."

As Anne turned back forward and pouted, Suki let her thoughts wander, as her eyes narrowed.

 _Did she only come back because…No, that's_ beyond _stupid. Even_ I _wouldn't go that far for something so trivial._

* * *

After what seemed like minutes, the group saw a building growing larger in the distance.

"A roadside tea house…" Joseph remarked.

As they got closer and pulled to a stop, Suki examined the building. It was old, for sure, with the pink paint of the outside peeling away to reveal the brick foundation underneath. The windows that led to the second floor didn't even have glass covers. Several large signs had been placed in the upper reaches of the building, spelling out different words in bold letters against different-colored backgrounds. Polnareff parked the car under a small arch, and the four men and two girls exited the car.

"Let's take a break. If we take our time, we may avoid running into that car," Joseph suggested, as they made their way into the building.

The teahouse was rather unpopulated, save for a few surly guys sitting at a table, and rather dim and dusty as well. Joseph walked up to presumably one of the employees cranking a machine that pushed out two slowly separating halves of sugarcane.

"What's that?" The old man asked.

"Sugarcane juice," The employee answered, pointing to the glass that was slowly filling with the liquid from the plant, "Wanna try some?"

"All right, then…" Mr. Joestar accepted the drink, as the employee squeezed lemon juice into the beverage. As Joseph raised the cup to his mouth, he took a closer look at the liquid, and suddenly shouted at what he saw.

"What?!"

Wondering why the man seemed so shocked by the sugarcane juice, Suki noticed Joseph's gaze was no longer on the beverage, but on a point outside of the restaurant.

The group looked behind them to see a red car parked next to a tree. The same red vehicle from before.

"I-It's him! That car's here!" Polnareff shouted.

The group walked up to the car to look inside, but were disappointed upon finding it empty. They looked back and remembered that they were not the only ones in the teahouse. As the rest of the group made their way back to the building, Suki turned back to the car briefly, before walking back and leaning against the tree. Wondering what the youth was up to, Anne also separated from the group, walking up to Suki and putting her hands on her hips.

"I don't know what you want, but I doubt there's anything that I can do for you. I'm just a person who doesn't know her place. Wandering the world at my age is pathetic, after all," Suki spoke dismissively, gesturing for the girl to shoo.

"Are you trying to be cool or something?" Anne asked, folding her arms.

"No, I'm taking preventative measures. The guy can't get in his car without me seeing his face if I'm standing here, and, who knows? Maybe I'll even be able to stop him," The youth looked down her nose at the child as she asked, "Do you doubt me?"

"I think you'd have a better chance of stopping the guy if Jotaro were over here," Anne's words were acid as she looked back to the teahouse. Suki sighed.

"Okay, kid, let me straighten something out," _And hope to any god who's listening that I'm wrong_ , she added in her mind, "I wanted to make certain you stayed out of our business. That's why I stopped you at the train station like that. You came back anyway, but I get the feeling you wouldn't have come back if it was just to stick it to me," Folding her arms, Suki narrowed her eyes and asked her question, "So, I ask, did you come back just to see a certain someone again? A certain someone being the person whose name you were shouting at the top of your lungs back on that train platform. Jojo."

Immediately, Anne's face flared up, as she pouted, desperately trying to dismiss this line of questioning, but finding an inability to form words.

"Well, uh…you, just…see…"

Suki let her hand drift up and rested her forehead in her palm, shaking her head.

"All because of a goddamn, unrequited crush."

"What?! Who…Who says it's unrequited?!"

Before Suki could latch her thoughts onto how a ten or eleven-year-old girl would know what "unrequited love" means, dismissing the question before it festered too much, she took a deep breath and began to explain.

"Listen, kid. You're ten or something, right?"

"Twelve."

"Twelve, right. Let me get this out of the way first: I say 'unrequited' because you're twelve, while you're fawning after a person who's practically an adult. You're still young. I'm not using that to taunt you. I'm using that to tell you that going on our journey with us is gonna spell death for you. And if it isn't death for you, it's _gonna_ be death for one of us."

"Death? What do you mean?"

Suki felt her level of irritation rise as she was forced to bask in the naivete of this girl who didn't know any better.

"Exactly what I said."

"No, I get it," Anne claimed, pointing at Suki, "You're just trying to scare me into leaving because you don't like me!"

"No, you idiot!"

Suki yelled, completely oblivious to the sounds of roughhousing going on in the building nearby.

"We don't have the time or the energy to play babysitter! Having someone around who can't even lift a finger to defend themselves is just one more thing to worry about!" Taking a breath, she spoke again, "We didn't even have _that_ to worry about when we lost Abdul," Letting out a short, sad laugh, she shook her head and muttered sorrowfully, "I bet you don't even remember who he is. The man you barely knew is dead. All because we grew careless, and made a mistake. A mistake that we couldn't change even if we tried. If we have to worry about the safety of someone like you, there's a bigger chance that someone might get killed! Even bigger…Even bigger than that time…!"

Swallowing, Anne made a suggestion, with an expression that held no malice or mischievous intent.

"Maybe you could've saved him, if you'd been more careful."

Suki's mouth fell agape. Two tears forced their way out of her eyes, as she gritted her teeth, her fists trembling at her sides.

"You think…You think I don't know that…?"

Suki turned her gaze back to the smaller child. She felt something heavy form in her chest, as blood pounded in her ears. Her voice came out as a pitiful scream, uncaring of who heard her.

"I don't need some vapid, know-nothing brat telling me _what_ _I already know_!"

Suki wound her arm back and lunged at the kid, as water blurred her vision. Before her fist could make contact, she felt two large arms winding around her body, pulling her back and up into the air.

"Wha-?!" Looking behind her, she saw Joseph was the one who had restrained her, holding back the arm she was going to punch with and keeping a tight grip around her stomach.

"Hey, let _go_!"

"Suki, calm down!"

"No, let go of me! Put me down!" Suki felt her face heat up in anger as she threw a tantrum, kicking and screaming at the man who wouldn't let her teach this naïve kid a lesson.

"I'm not…I'm not gonna just let her talk about losing Abdul like it was nothing!"

The other men exchanged looks of surprise, as Joseph turned to Polnareff after a moment.

"Polnareff, I know you want to chase after that guy, but…"

Breathing a sigh and folding his arms, Polnareff nodded. With that, Joseph set Suki down and took her wrist, dragging her more than leading her back over to the teahouse.

"I said let go!" She yelled, attempting to pry open his iron grip on her arm, but to no avail. "What about the-"

"He's gone, Suki. He left while you were distracted."

"What?" Suki turned back to see that the man spoke the truth. The red car that had been parked by the tree was nowhere to be seen. She felt her boiling rage slowly dwindle into guilt as she began to pick up her feet, following after Joseph.

As they finally reached the side of the building, Joseph let go of her wrist and walked forward, leaning against the building and folding his arms. After a moment of standing in silence, Suki wound her fist back and threw a left hook into the wall, a small trail of blood flowing down from where her hand made impact.

"That was…really dumb," She sighed, bringing her hand back.

"It was dumb."

"Stupid, too."

"That, it was."

She scratched the back of her neck with her uninjured hand.

"Not…one of my brighter moments."

"No arguments here."

Suki looked at the old man beside her with pursed lips.

"Didn't you bring me over here to scold me or comfort me, or whatever?"

"I did," Joseph looked up, making eye contact with the girl, "But that _was_ really stupid."

Suki sighed and leaned against the wall beside the man, bringing a hand up through her hair and holding her head, as she took a deep breath, finally calming down completely.

"You seem confused."

"Huh?" Suki removed her hand from her head, looking at Joseph quizzically, "What is there to be confused about? I screwed up. We all agreed on that."

"No, not that kind of confused," Mr. Joestar shook his head.

"What other kind of confused _is_ there?"

"Well, it's…difficult to explain," The man expressed, scratching his chin, "I got a similar feeling when you tried to convince Polnareff to stay, back in Calcutta."

The girl moved, leaning on her side instead of her back, devoting her full attention to this issue.

"You spoke like an adult. You made your disappointment in his verbal attack on Abdul clear, and you followed that with a fair point about how we can't go…what was it you said? 'Galivanting off like some crazed justice vigilantes'?" Joseph turned his gaze up to the sky as he continued, "But, when he refused, you lost all of that maturity and screamed at him to stay, like a child who couldn't get what she wanted. That's how you seem confused to me. You can't seem to decide how to act."

At this, Suki turned back and wrapped her arms around herself, bowing her head slightly. With a sigh, Mr. Joestar spoke up again.

"Look, I didn't mean-"

"No, it's fine. I'm not insulted or anything, I just…" Looking back at the man beside her, Suki deliberated over whether to share this bit of information. This part of her that she had never breathed a word of to anyone else.

 _I don't know why, but…even though, I've talked openly about my brother before…It's never felt_ this _personal…Why is that…?_ Suki sighed, _I…I can trust Mr. Joestar._

"When…When I was younger, my brother told me this: 'I love you just the way you are. Please, don't ever change,'" Glancing at Joseph, she saw he was listening intently, so she continued, looking up at the clouds, "After spending my whole life with him, I came to learn something. There's…not much in this world that makes him happy. He only ever seems to smile around me," Looking down at her hand, she traced the lines in her palm with her eyes, "I can't stand it. I can't stand when the people closest to me are upset and I can't do anything to help. So, I tried to keep acting the way he wanted me to.

"I…I was just a kid when he told me that…So, even when I got older, I still kept acting like this," She smiled sheepishly at the man beside her, "I didn't think I was a walking contradiction, though, heheh."

"You and your brother…certainly have an odd relationship."

"Yeah," Suki reached up and rubbed the chain of her necklace between her fingers, "It's kind of crazy... I feel like I should've been asking myself questions like these all along, but they just never occurred to me. So…Thank you."

Joseph smiled and rose up from his leaning position.

"Glad we were able to help you a bit."

Suki nodded. The two began to walk back to their car, until Mr. Joestar turned and addressed the girl.

"You'll still need to apologize to Anne."

"What? Why?"

"Even if you had a right to say some of those things, you didn't have a right to hit her, or try to."

"Fiiiiiiine," Suki grumbled, as the two continued walking.

* * *

As they rolled around at the speed of sound (at least, it felt close to that speed), the group caught up almost too quickly to the red car, but the other vehicle seemed to be keeping pace ahead of their own relatively well.

"Damn it! For a piece of shit car, it goes pretty fast!" Polnareff expressed incredulously.

Both autos came up to a crossroads, marked by a crooked sign. The sign read "Pakistan" in all caps on a green background, pointing to the right. The red car swerved smoothly to the right, thankfully heading in the direction of their own destination.

 _Lord knows, Polnareff probably would've followed that car regardless of which direction it went,_ Suki thought.

Kakyoin held up a map and examined it with a quizzical expression.

"That's strange. According to the map, we should be running parallel with train tracks here."

"Who the hell cares? We're gonna catch him in a second," Polnareff assured, as the sound of a motor revving was heard in front of them. Polnareff tightened his grip on the wheel, as he swore, "That bastard! I'm gonna nail him on that curve!"

 _Isn't this what they call road rage…?_ Suki mused, _regardless of whether or not it's warranted, I kinda don't want Polnareff driving on big city roads, for more than just his sake._

The blue van swerved about the curve, as a large clearing followed by a steep cliff that dropped off lay out in front of them.

"Impossible! It's a dead end!" Polnareff shouted, as he slammed on the brakes.

The car skidded to a stop, barely looking out over the steep cliff face.

"He's gone!" Joseph exclaimed, "Where did he go?!"

"He disappeared after the curve?" Polnareff asked, looking about.

"And a car couldn't cross that suspension bridge…" Kakyoin mused.

Suddenly, a forceful impact was felt at the rear of the vehicle. Everyone turned back to see the red car from before shoving into their own vehicle, pushing them forward.

"What?!" Everyone voiced their mass confusion as one entity.

The other car pulled back, only to ram into the back of their own car once more.

"I-It's him! He's coming from behind!" Joseph yelled.

 _Heheh, that's what she s-_ Suki shook her head, dispelling the thought, _someone's trying to_ kill _us, I can't get distracted with dumb jokes like this!_

"How did he get behind us?" Kakyoin questioned anxiously.

Polnareff shifted into reverse as he hit the accelerator pedal, desperately trying to push back against the assailant. To no avail, as the other driver continued to push forward.

"H-He's pushing us with immense horsepower…What the hell is this? A tank?!" The Frenchman exclaimed.

At that moment, Suki spared a glance out the window. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at what she saw.

"What…in the…?"

"It's no use!"

The girl's train of thought was broken as Polnareff cried out in desperation. He removed his hands from the wheel as he began to fumble with his seatbelt.

"Everyone, abandon the car and get out!"

"Polnareff!" Kakyoin raised his voice at the driver, "What kind of driver gets out of the car before everyone else?! Who's going to hold down the brake pedal?"

"Huh?"

Given that small opening, the red car proceeded to push their own automobile off the cliff. Polnareff looked at Kakyoin sheepishly.

"S-S-Sorry!"

Kakyoin turned and made eye contact with Suki, nodding at her, a signal that he needed her assistance. She returned the gesture.

"Hierophant Green!" Kakyoin summoned his Stand, as it began to soar into the air.

"Knight of Cups!" Suki called out to her Stand, as she formed a watery grappling hook in Knight's hand. The bluish wraith quickly flew up and joined Hierophant above the falling car.

"Stop!" Joseph warned, "Hierophant and Knight aren't strong enough to hold this much weight! It'll just tear their bodies apart!"

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Joestar," Kakyoin brought up his hand in front of his face in a showy gesture, "but I know myself quite well. I am not a fool."

"It's not nice to make assumptions, Mr. Joestar," Suki put a hand to her chin and smirked, "When faced with life or death situations, the human mind can truly expand its limits!"

Hierophant proceeded to latch the wire winch to Knight's grapple gun. Knight shot her grappling hook and allowed the hook to tie around the red car's bumper, as she swiftly knotted the gun part around the metal part of the wire winch. The ropes were pulled taut as they reached their ends.

"Hierophant flew up holding the car's wire winch! And Knight used a grappling hook to tie the two cars together!"

"Of course," Kakyoin smirked, "That wire winch isn't long enough to reach the other car from here, so I enlisted Suki's help to get a bit more length."

"Hmph. Not bad, you two," Jotaro remarked.

"Really?" Suki's eyes lit up at the praise.

"Of course," Kakyoin nodded, "You helped."

"Aw, stop, you two," Suki blushed, holding her face in her hands.

"By the way, do you like sumo?" Jotaro asked, summoning Star Platinum and sending him out to grab the two tied ropes at the knot in the middle, yanking the red assailant forward, "Especially deadlocks at the edge of the ring…" Star pulled hard on the rope, bringing their van up, out of the ravine as they continued to ascend, "It's exciting, isn't it?"

Star Platinum then punched the red car, swapping its place with their own car, as the red vehicle tumbled into the ravine, the blue car landing safely on all four wheels, as Knight dissipated her own rope and the wire winch retracted back to the car.

"Ow," Polnareff groaned, bringing a hand up to his head.

"Indeed. I quite enjoy sumo," Kakyoin responded, holding his head.

"Same here!" Suki pulled back and smiled up at Jotaro.

"But Jotaro," Kakyoin commented, turning to look back at his fellow student, "In sumo, it's against the rules to punch your opponent."

"Kakyoin, you've heard the phrase, 'All's fair in love and war,' right?" The honor student nodded, as Suki looked at him with a lopsided smile, "Well, that guy was itchin' to start one. We were playing as fair as he was!"

"I guess you're right," Kakyoin admitted with a chuckle, joining Joseph and Polnareff in stepping out of the vehicle, walking over to the cliff to examine the wreckage.

 _Hmm…That reminds me…_ Suki thought, _I still have to check that thing I saw when we were being pushed…What could that-_

"Hey."

Suki looked up at Jotaro confusedly, tilting her head, wondering why he had spoken up to her.

"You mind moving?"

"Huh?"

Suki looked down and noticed that somehow, with the vehicle being jostled this way and that, she had landed in Jotaro's lap, her hands on either side of his torso.

 _Oh. Oh, jeez, this is…_ Suki looked over to see Anne still sitting in the seat next to Jotaro. She was currently glaring enviously at the female who was attracting the delinquent's attention.

… _Quite a lucky turn of events…_ Suki finished her thought. Looking up at the man, she grinned mischievously.

"Silly Jotaro, you aren't my seat!"

"I'm aware. You gonna move?"

Suki opened her mouth as though to respond, but then another thought occurred to her, in direct contrast to the thought route she had been following.

 _What am I doing…? I… need to stop being such a kid._

She nodded as she looked back up at the man.

"Right. My bad," With that small response, she moved out of the thug's lap, allowing him to exit the vehicle. She looked to the small girl with a sheepish grin, asking forgiveness for a childish act she had yet to commit to fully. Anne merely raised her eyebrows before huffing and leaving the car through the opposite door.

The three made their way to the cliff, where the burning wreckage of the red car could be seen from where they stood.

"Since I didn't see anything that looked like a Stand attack, I guess it was just some weirdo," Joseph mused, leaning forward on one knee.

Meandering over to the strange thing she saw on the rock wall, Suki crouched next to it, narrowing her eyes. She heard footsteps approach behind her, but not a single word was spoken. Without even turning, she had a feeling that she knew who had walked over to examine what she had found, especially with the telltale sound of hands being shoved into pockets.

"Okay, so I was dumb again."

"Yeah, but you stopped."

Suki turned, her expression growing sheepish.

"Sorry."

"Just…" Jotaro fiddled with the brim of his hat, pulling it down over his eyes, "At least you didn't go too far."

The girl's eyebrows raised, as she stood up and walked over to him.

 _Jeez, girls bickering_ really _gets on his nerves_ , she thought, _I wonder what kind of people you have to hang around to grow_ this _irritated about it?_

"If…If it ever gets that bad…" Suki put a finger to her chin in thought, before putting out her hand, as though to offer him something, "You can punch me in the face, hard as you want."

Jotaro quirked an eyebrow before pulling his hat back to its original position.

"Idiot, I'm not going to hit you."

The girl crossed her arms behind her head and laughed sheepishly.

"What did you find over here?"

Suki's eyes widened as she remembered what she had seen.

"Oh, right! Here, look," She beckoned him over with a small hand gesture, as he followed and looked over her shoulder.

"Tire tracks?"

"Yeah," Suki nodded, bringing her hand over the black markings, "And they still feel warm, like they were _just_ made."

The man brought his hand up experimentally to the tracks, rubbing his thumb over the rough, rocky surface, his eyes narrowing. Being so close, Suki could easily see the gears turning in Jotaro's mind, as his blue eyes meandered along the tracks. He slowly moved his gaze along the marks, trying to find their source. Realizing she had been staring, Suki turned away to hide her flushing cheeks as she examined the trail.

"They lead up from the cliff."

"Yeah," Suki put a hand to her chin, turning back to Jotaro as she tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together in her mind, "If that car was able to climb up this cliff to get behind us, then…!" Her eyes widened at her realization, as she shook her head.

"I _really_ don't want to entertain that idea. If it's true, then…Then that means…!"

"This fight isn't over yet," Jotaro finished her thought.

"It looks like you've figured it out…" A voice accompanied by static crackled out.

Everyone turned their attention to the blue van with expressions of shock.

"It's the radio! It's coming from the car radio!" Polnareff claimed.

"This fight isn't over yet, Joestar! The car is a Stand!"

"What?!" Joseph exclaimed, clenching his fist in front of him, "If it knows my name, it must be one of the Stand users that are after us!"

"Where is it coming from?" Kakyoin asked, looking about, "Could it be from the car that just fell?"

"That's impossible! That thing is totaled!" Polnareff denied.

"No, there _is_ a possibility the whole car is a Stand," Jotaro asserted, "Just like the Stand for Strength was a boat."

"It certainly wouldn't be too far-fetched," Suki agreed, as the two youths made their way back to the group.

An unknown voice rang through the air, devoid of any sounds of changes to radio frequency.

"The Wheel of Fortune…That is the card my Stand suggests."

"The Wheel of Fortune?!" Joseph shouted, his eyes widening.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake.

"What is that tremor?" The old man wondered.

"This isn't good…" Polnareff spoke anxiously.

"Everyone, get in the car!" Mr. Joestar ordered; however, Jotaro voiced a warning immediately after.

"No, don't! Everyone get away from the car!"

"It can't be…" Polnareff expressed.

"The ground!" Kakyoin yelled.

The red automobile drilled up through the rocky ground, tipping the blue van as it emerged from underneath. In the chaos, the whole group was tossed about like rag dolls, landing on their backs and sides on the unforgiving dirt. Suki noticed that, despite being busted beyond all compare, the death machine that was after them still ran as well as an uninjured auto.

"Impossible! It burrowed up through the ground! I think it's pretty obvious that car is actually a Stand!" Polnareff exclaimed.

"It appears that the Stand's user is inside," Kakyoin claimed.

"If it works like Forever's Strength, then he _has_ to be in there!" Suki expressed.

Suddenly, the car began to warp and distort, as its front gained what looked like sharp, curved tongs.

"What the hell?!" Polnareff cried.

The vehicle repaired itself in the blink of an eye, and its wheels gained sharp spikes.

"What is that thing?" Kakyoin asked in fearful confusion.

The front of the automobile grew more and more spikes, becoming more of a porcupine than a vehicle one would see on the street.

"It's like a living creature!" Joseph yelled.

"It's just like Strength," Suki claimed, "No. No, this is _worse_ than Strength!"

"It transformed! It's going to attack!"

Just as Polnareff warned everyone, the Stand began to barrel towards them, heading straight for Jotaro. The delinquent smirked.

"Hmph. It wants to see who's stronger."

"Don't, Jotaro. Don't fight yet!" Joseph cautioned, "Not until we know what that Stand's power is!"

Without warning, two large holes the size of silver dollars suddenly appeared in Jotaro's arms, one on each shoulder, as he coughed up blood. Everyone's thoughts seemed to coalesce as one as they all shouted his name.

"Jotaro!"

"I-Impossible…I couldn't see it," Jotaro wondered, holding his left shoulder, "What did it shoot at me, and how?"

The red death machine seemed to laugh, as it rushed in again for another blow.

"You couldn't see it? You'll soon find out…When you're about to die, that is!"

"Not on my watch!" Suki shouted, as she pounced in, using her remaining water supply to make a shield. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough water to make the shield big enough to protect her legs. The enemy Stand user exploited this weakness with gusto, as Suki felt holes rip open in her legs. She collapsed to the ground with a cry of pain, as Kakyoin and Polnareff came in to help Jotaro move back towards the group. Thinking fast, Suki threw her shield up, stopping bullets from hitting any vitals on her allies, as she threw up her arms to protect her own, feeling more bullets make contact with her arms. She heard the three men behind her elicit pained shouts, as the shield had not fully protected them from the shots.

"Jotaro! Polnareff! Suki! Kakyoin!" Joseph yelled. Anne shrieked out in horror, as the old man brought the little girl into cover,

"What the hell is this?! The wounds aren't deep, but it's digging in!" Polnareff exclaimed.

"I can't see it at all. The Stand appeared to be throwing something at us, but there's nothing sticking out of our wounds," Kakyoin deduced.

"Just…Just what _is_ this?!" Suki asked, feeling her body weighed down by the wounds.

"Are you all right, Jotaro?" Joseph asked.

"Don't worry about me. Anyway…" Jotaro narrowed his eyes, his face hardening, "I don't know what kind of attack it is, but it's got good control."

"Yeah, no joke," Suki nodded, thinking back to how the bullets had seemed to only fly towards the areas on their bodies that they had left defenseless.

"I'll go after your legs so you can't run anymore, and then run you over!" Wheel of Fortune cackled, as he revved the motor and launched toward the group.

"Run between the boulders!" Joseph pointed towards the crevice that sat behind them.

The group followed Joseph's instructions, as he carried the girl to safety. Everyone leapt into the small space, as the car crashed behind them.

"Stop running away!"

"We're not gonna stop running just because you told us to, asshole!" Suki yelled, clenching a fist.

The front part of the car that looked like tongs began to dig into the rock wall, and the tires with spikes turned downward and began spinning.

"What?!" Kakyoin turned upon hearing a strange sound, and was privy to the car's next transformation.

"What the hell are you guys? Cockroaches?!"

"Guys! It's trying to squeeze in here after us, and it's _working_!" Suki yelled back at the group. Everyone turned at this, curious as to what was happening.

"Oh, no! It's forcing its way in!" Joseph claimed.

"We're no match for it." Kakyoin stated.

"It's acting like some stupid musclehead who couldn't figure out a puzzle ring, so he just pitched a violent fit instead!" Polnareff compared.

"Head further back!" Jotaro barked out an order, as they turned and dashed through the passage.

Suki and Anne were pulling up the rear behind the rest of the men, as dust clouds kicked up by the Stand's rampage moved forward and enveloped the group. Suki stopped upon hearing a small cry and the sound of a body hitting the ground, turning to see nothing in the mass of thick clouds, but she knew what had happened. Anne had tripped, and couldn't get up. Suki rolled her eyes.

"Son of a mother-" She grumbled as she rushed back to help the child, ignoring the piercing pain in her legs, bringing a hand up to muffle her coughs. As she got closer, she could make out the outline of the tiny girl, reaching out in front of her as she shouted.

"N-No one's carrying me! Yeah, I ran away from home," Anne began to cry as she pounded her fist into the ground, "I'm a good-for-nothing! I'm all alone and no one loves me! I'll just die!"

At that moment, Suki had pulled up right beside the girl without her knowledge, and time seemed to slow to a crawl as she processed the words Anne had just spoken.

Their ages, attitudes, and lifestyles were completely different, but, at that moment, Suki experienced a feeling that was entirely different from what she had felt previously. Her previous vitriolic emotions toward the child seemed to evaporate completely, like a puddle of water sitting under the summer sun, swirling into a vapor of realization.

Suki was looking in a mirror. A funhouse mirror that was warped and distorted, but it still reflected the girl's true emotional state.

Grasping the girl by the back of the overalls, she took the kid into her arms and rushed to catch up with the group. After a moment of not experiencing the pain of being run over, Anne opened her eyes to see Suki, the girl she thought had wanted her dead. Turning her gaze downward, Suki smirked.

"It's a little too early to be contemplating death, don't you think-!"

Suddenly, Suki tripped and fell, landing on her side.

 _Goddammit, me too?! Is the whole_ area _in cahoots with the bad guy?!_

"Kn-Knight!" Suki strangled out, as the water wraith appeared and took Anne out of her grasp, floating quickly behind a large rock, where Wheel of Fortune would surely be unable to reach her. The tiny girl looked about in wonder as she floated over, before turning her attention to the youth who still lay in front of the oncoming death machine.

Suki desperately tried to push herself up, but the pain from the holes that covered her arms and legs seemed to bite back at her for her earlier negligence, causing her to fall back down, completely prone. The girl hissed in pain as she pushed herself up just enough to lift her head and project her voice towards the hiding girl.

"Listen, Anne. I don't wanna hear any of that bullcrap, about being good for nothing. I've trained myself from childhood to be the supporter. Standing on the sidelines, and helping people who need it," Tears began to run down her cheeks as she continued, despite the wavering of her voice, "Being with this group of guys…it's made me think all of that was a lie. I need to _fight_ to be useful to anyone, to _save_ anyone, and if I can't…Well, now look at me…"

Trying desperately to raise herself up, she looked forward, her eyes hard as diamond, "But, being with them…It's made me realize something else…Even if I can't do my job right…Even if I fuck up beyond all compare…I'm still _worth_ something…So, now I'm gonna tell _you_ , Anne," Taking a breath, she turned back to the kid, "I had you wrong from the beginning, and I'm sorry. But, you're wrong. You're _not_ good for nothing. If you weren't worth something, then you wouldn't be alive in the first place. You're worth _something_ to _somebody_ ," Suki coughed, the remnants of the long-abandoned dust cloud rearing their ugly heads, as she let her lips turn up in a determined smile, "I know it."

"You…" Anne felt tears push themselves out of her eyes once more, as she reached out in vain to the downed girl.

"Suki!"

Suki desperately tried to crawl forward, despite her aching limbs, unaccepting of the fate Wheel of Fortune wanted to push on her, as the revving of the motor grew louder and louder in her ears. Suddenly, the girl felt a large hand on her back, lifting her up and out of the way of the incoming death machine. Looking up, she saw Jotaro.

"Good grief," Jotaro muttered, as he placed Suki down, "If you have time to say all that, you can run," The man tilted his hat down over his eyes, "Idiot."

"Heh, guess I am a pretty big idiot, huh?" Suki asked, as she wiped her eyes and a goofy grin turned up the corners of her mouth, "Or, uh, a little one?"

"Hmph," The thug let go of his hat, making eye contact with the girl, "Maybe not even that."

"Huh? What do you-"

"Jotaro! Suki!"

The two turned and were immediately pulled into a group hug with Anne.

"I love you both!"

Both youths raised their eyebrows, as Suki turned to Jotaro and laughed embarrassedly, scratching her cheek, as he sighed. They then turned to the cliff face, and Suki was surprised to see the rest of the group already climbing their way up. Kakyoin, Polnareff, and Joseph all seemed to have stopped to look back and make sure that their remaining group mates were alright.

 _Wait, does that mean they heard_ everything _I said…?_ Suki thought, _I kinda hope not. That was a little_ too _personal._

Instinctively, Suki reached out and tried to pull herself up, but she winced in pain, pulling her arms back and looking at the bullet wounds from earlier.

"Damn Wheel…"

She looked up at Jotaro and Anne, who had already begun to climb. They looked back upon noticing she wasn't accompanying them.

 _How do these people do it, with injuries like_ this? Suki wondered, _Then again, I'm one to talk._

"Please, allow me."

Having reached the top, Kakyoin summoned Hierophant Green, who reached down with his tentacles and wrapped them around Suki's torso, careful not to accidentally rub against any of her wounds. After a moment, the Stand began to pull the girl up gently.

"Thank you, Kakyoin," Suki expressed her gratitude openly upon reaching the top.

"It's not a problem," Kakyoin replied with a gentle smile. Suki was sure she was hallucinating, but, for just a moment, she could swear she saw a light, red color dusting his cheeks.

One by one, the others slowly scaled the cliff, as Kakyoin and Suki helped with the last leg of the ascension, the pain slowly fading from her arms.

 _Huh. Guess I'm not immune to this pain tolerance either._

Finally, Jotaro reached the top last, as Anne and Joseph assisted him in getting up. The delinquent looked back upon hearing Wheel of Fortune's cackle and motor rev.

"Climb if you want. There are literally no roads left for you! Not for escape, not for survival, not for Egypt, not even a road toward your shining future! Because…"

 _Shit, the tracks!_

"Everyone, get back! It can climb the walls!" Suki barked at her comrades.

"What?!" Everyone except Jotaro shouted in shock.

"This Wheel of Fortune is going to grind you into hamburger and splatter you all over these boulders!" Wheel of Fortune laughed maniacally, as its wheels gained spikes before the group's eyes and began to scale the cliff.

 _Man, I could go for a ham-_ Suki shook her head, _Gah, no! Focus!_

"Oh, no!" Joseph yelled.

"I-It's climbing up…" Kakyoin stated anxiously.

"Is there anything this car can't do?!" Polnareff asked no one in particular.

Jotaro threw out his arm in defense of his allies.

"Good grief. Looks like we're going to have to face it," The man turned towards the cliff, as he stared down the approaching vehicle, "Everyone, stay back. Once it climbs up here, we'll see the car's underside. That's when we'll find out who's stronger."

"Jotaro, now is _not_ the time for a Stand-based dick-measuring contest!" Suki called out.

"I see," Kakyoin mused, a hand on his chin, "Once the car's underside is in view, we may be able to attack it."

 _Oh. That,_ Suki realized, _Right._

The delinquent's trenchcoat fluttered in the wind, as the sound of the motor grew closer and closer by the millisecond.

"Jotaro, get back!" Suki shouted, taking a step forward and reaching out to the man, "You're standing too close!"

"I know what I'm doing," Jotaro turned, locking eyes with the concerned girl, "Relax."

 _Okay. Yeah. He knows what he's doing,_ Suki nodded to herself, pulling her foot back, _I'll relax._

At that moment, the death machine raced up into the air, its underside on full display. Jotaro summoned Star Platinum with a mighty battle cry, as the Stand wound his fist back to lay into the automobile.

"You're quite energetic, Jotaro! But not smart at all!" The enemy Stand user waved his hand at the group from the vehicle, "Your bodies reek of something, and you haven't even noticed!"

Jotaro pulled back his Stand at this statement, as he caught on to what was going on.

"Come to think of it, I smell gasoline," Kakyoin expressed.

Polnareff gave the air a cursory whiff before coming to a conclusion.

"It's our bodies! Our bodies smell like gasoline!"

Wheel of Fortune shot another wave of "bullets."

"It was shooting gasoline at us!" Kakyoin concluded, "It was shooting small amounts of gasoline at high speed, like bullets."

 _So_ that's _why I felt weighed down by my wounds,_ Suki realized, _we were being soaked in chemicals, like bacteria in a Petri dish!_

"I-Impossible…" Polnareff claimed, "So his attacks weren't to wound us, but to soak our bodies with gasoline?!"

"Oh, no…" Suki mused anxiously, biting her thumb in nervous habit, "I don't like where this is going…"

"What, where is it going?"

"Gasoline can be a dangerous substance on its own, but, if I've learned anything from basic chemistry, it's that gas plus anything flammable, like…" Suki's eyes widened.

 _Like too many components of a car…!_

"Jotaro, get back!"

More holes were blown open on Jotaro's body, as he was coated in gasoline bullets.

"Looks like you finally caught on, but it's too late now!" The muscular arm poking out of the red car's window pulled on what looked like a hose attached to the vehicle, "These electric wires will spark!"

A small spark made contact with Jotaro's body. The man immediately erupted into flames, hot embers rolling up and down from where the original catalyst made contact.

"What?!" The delinquent exclaimed.

Kakyoin, Joseph, and Polnareff gasped.

"Jotaro!" Anne and Suki called, reaching out in vain.

The flame only seemed to grow larger, as his body silhouetted in fire shouted in pain at the sky before crumpling to his knees.

"Jotaro!" Joseph desperately tried to make his way to his grandson.

"Don't go near him, Mr. Joestar!" Kakyoin warned, holding the man back, "There's gasoline on our bodies as well."

 _I…I can't use my water,_ Suki thought, _I don't have enough to put that fire out. Even if I tried using our own sweat, some of the gasoline might get mixed in! I can't attack the car either, because I'll just get sparked, too, and electricity will just flow through Knight like a snake in a river! So…what do I…?_

Wheel of Fortune smacked his car as he cackled gleefully. Jotaro fell completely to the ground, as the flame only seemed to glow brighter, his body fully encased in a raging inferno.

"Jotaro!" Mr. Joestar cried out, reaching out to the burning man.

Wheel of Fortune raised his hand and pointed to the sky, before he turned his point to the group.

"I win! Part Three is over!"

Everyone gazed in horror and sadness at Jotaro's burning body, a heavy feeling of failure and loss pervading the air.

Suddenly, Suki calmly spoke, folding her arms and closing her eyes.

"I don't know what this 'Part Three' you're talking about is, but, I will tell you this," The girl rapped her chest with a closed fist, "We won't die here, and neither will Jotaro Kujo."

"Huh? What's this now?" Wheel of Fortune asked with an unconvinced tone.

Everyone looked to Suki with confused expressions as she stepped forward towards the enemy, looking morosely at Jotaro's funeral pyre, before sighing and turning to her enemy.

"Lemme set something straight," She threw her hand out boldly, in a gesture to call attention to herself, "A real man _never_ dies, even when he's killed," Suki raised her fist in front of herself and clenched it hard, as her brow furrowed, "The man known as Jotaro Kujo…was a _real_ man. He…is dead. He's gone! But…" The girl rapped her chest with that fist, where her heart lay, as she took another step forward, "He's here in my heart, _and_ the hearts of my friends! He lives on, as a part of us!" Looking behind her at her friends with a determined smile, she continued, "With him by our side, now and forever," She looked forward, folding her arms once more, "No matter what's in our way, we won't stop!" Suki tipped her head back and shouted at full volume at the sky, " _Just who the hell do you think we are?!_ " She lowered her voice as she leaned forward, pointing at herself with her thumb, "I'll tell you, Wheel," She raised her hand up to the sky, in a similar fashion to Wheel of Fortune's action earlier, and pointed, "We're the Stardust Crusaders!" Putting a hand on her hip and turning her point to Wheel, she concluded, "And there's no way in hell that we'll fall to you!"

A moment passed before Wheel of Fortune cackled once more.

"Is that your sad attempt at raising morale? Sorry to say, but I don't think any words you say now will heal the wounds I've left!" The enemy Stand user continued to laugh maniacally.

Suki kept her determined gaze forward, her eyes never losing their fire. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned to see Joseph walking up to her side.

"That's where you're wrong."

"Come again?" The enemy Stand user asked.

"I came all the way out here to save my daughter, his mother. If I stopped here, I'd never forgive myself," Mr. Joestar closed his eyes in contemplation, before turning them back forward, his irises containing a fire that Suki could only describe as hot-blooded, "And I know my grandson wouldn't either."

Kakyoin walked up next, folding his arms.

"There are no words to describe how I feel at losing another dear friend on this journey. But, Jotaro never stood down in the face of danger, and neither did Abdul," Kakyoin pointed towards the enemy Stand user, a roiling inferno behind his purple eyes, "For their sakes, I will push forward until I have knocked you down!"

"You just don't understand how we work," Polnareff moved forward, clenching his fist, "You keep trying to beat us down, and beat us down, until we're begging for mercy," The Frenchman joined the two youths in pointing at the enemy, fire broiling in his blue eyes, "But we won't give in, not now, not ever!"

"What's…What's with you all…?" Wheel of Fortune asked incredulously.

"Suki is right. Jotaro is right here, pushing us forward, and we'll keep moving," Keeping the hand he had placed on Suki's shoulder there, he pointed with his other hand in the same direction as his other three allies, "We won't stop until we see Dio fall!"

"Hmph," Suki looked down her nose at Wheel, "And you say words _can't_ heal people?"

"This… This doesn't change a thing! You're all still gonna die!" Wheel of Fortune cackled.

Suki smirked widely.

"Wrong-o, buddy."

Suddenly, a familiar voice seemed to emit from the ether, ringing out loudly for all to hear.

"The kid speaks the truth. I'm right here."

A sleeveless, muscular arm burst out of the ground, causing Wheel of Fortune's arm to spasm in shock. The arm pushed the ground, as the rest of the body it was attached to emerged, revealing none other than the man thought to be dead.

"And I'm not going anywhere," Jotaro smirked.

"You burrowed into the ground with Star Platinum!" Wheel of Fortune cried out in shock, "So the only thing that burned up was your jacket!"

"Hmph. By the way, weren't you saying something about roads earlier?" Jotaro asked, raising himself fully out of the ground, "You were wrong. A road is something that you make yourself. And so I, Jotaro Kujo, will show you how it's done."

Wheel of Fortune cowered, bringing his arm closer to the vehicle.

"I'll show you exactly how roads are built!"

Star Platinum emerged and laid into the red car brutally, unleashing a seemingly endless flurry of punches. The car bent, concaved, and distorted, as a shape emerged in the side that resembled a human face.

"I-I'm being crushed," Wheel of Fortune whimpered from inside the vehicle.

"Jotaro!" Anne's face lit up with a smile as she called his name, as everyone's faces raised from mournful determination to genuine relief.

"That's it, Jotaro!" Suki enthused, a gargantuan grin pulling her mouth open to flash her teeth as she pointed up to the sky once more to drive her point home, "Grit those teeth and kick him to the curb!"

With one final punch, Star shoved the red car forward, sending the driver flying, as he plowed through the ground, creating a road.

"That's how it's done. Where you went flying, there is now literally a road," Jotaro raised a hand in front of him and splayed it, as though drawing everyone's attention to a masterpiece he had made, "Good, good."

Wheel of Fortune sat up quickly and looked at his assailants, crying out in fright as blood streamed down his face from the previous attack. The man was quite lanky, despite his massive arms, and he had a bit of a potbelly, with a black hairstyle that made him look somewhat like an imp. The rest of the group walked over to join Jotaro.

"What an odd character," Kakyoin remarked, "His arms were so huge, and yet everything else is so small. Talk about a bluff."

"Yeah, looks like someone _seriously_ skipped leg day," Suki commented.

Wheel of Fortune desperately tried to scramble away, and grasped onto the first stable support he could find. This turned out to be Polnareff's leg.

"Hey! Don't you run away!" The Frenchman drove his foot into Wheel's back and ground his heel in. Wheel of Fortune looked up with a pleading look on his face.

"Please don't kill me! I'm just in this for the money!"

Everybody laughed, and Jotaro even smiled along. Suddenly, the red car deflated from its death trap appearance into a shoddy looking old car.

"Oh, God. To think that the Stand was disguising such a small car, too," Joseph smiled as he spoke, "It looks like a sheep that's just been shorn. How pathetic."

Everyone laughed again.

"Hmm…What to do with him, though?" Suki smirked back at the group, "I mean, he _did_ say please."

The rest of the group looked at each other and, after a moment, smiled devilishly. Suki raised her eyebrows.

"Care to share?" She asked, leaning forward with her hands on her hips.

Jotaro smirked at the girl.

"Just watch."

* * *

"'I am a priest in training. Please do not disturb my ascetic practices by undoing my restraints…'" Suki read aloud from the sign they had placed next to Wheel of Fortune. The enemy Stand user had been chained upside down to a rock, with his hands buried in the ground and a chain in his mouth. Looking back to her teammates, she smiled mischievously.

"You guys are a bad influence, you know that?"

"Hmph. You think we care?" Jotaro remarked.

"Well, then. Let's take this car across the border, since our car was destroyed," Joseph suggested.

"It's pretty beat up. I wonder if it'll last that long," Kakyoin remarked.

"Help! Help!" Wheel of Fortune cried out.

As the group packed up their things in their new mode of transportation, Jotaro spoke up to Suki.

"Nice performance, by the way."

Suki's eyes glittered, as her mouth curled up in a catlike smile.

"You really think so?"

"Rehearsal paid off. Hell, _I_ believed you were serious."

"Aw, stop," Suki blushed, "I only rehearsed so I could make sure I said it all without breaking character!"

"Wait, you mean..." Joseph started.

The two youths looked at the rest of the group to see that their mouths had fallen agape, their eyes blown wide as they looked at Suki. Kakyoin, Polnareff, and Joseph all made their thoughts perfectly clear as they shouted in unison.

"You weren't serious?!"

"Uh, wait, you…" Suki raised her finger and pointed shakily at the group, "You didn't seriously…?" She then made eye contact with Jotaro, as they both looked back to the group, then back to each other, before Suki snickered. Almost immediately, her snickers developed into full laughs as she held her stomach. Jotaro sighed, but a small smile turned up his mouth.

"Oh my God, I can't believe it! _You_ fell for it, too?!" Suki exclaimed between guffaws, "I thought you guys were just really good at playing along but, holy mother of…" The girl just laughed and laughed, as she somehow lost her footing and fell back. Her laughs even seemed to grow in volume because of her loss of footing, as she tried to calm herself down from her unrelenting fit. The rest of the group could only exchange concerned and confused expressions.

"Good grief, kid," Jotaro shook his head, emitting a small, short huff of a laugh himself, "It's not _that_ funny."

"I-I know, it's just…" Suki lost herself to another giggle fit as she accepted the delinquent's hand in helping her up, wiping tears out of her eyes, "I mean, corny stuff is half the reason I get up in the morning, but that was like…heaven-piercing levels of corny. I'd probably believe that if I heard someone else say it, but I don't think I've reached a level where I could normally say all of that with a straight face!" Turning to the rest of the group, having finally calmed down, she scratched the back of her neck embarrassedly.

"Sorry to keep you in the dark like that, guys. I had to make sure Jotaro's plan went through seamlessly without the enemy catching on."

"You even knew he wasn't dead…?" Kakyoin asked.

"Uh, well, no, actually. I just kinda, sorta…had to trust he'd be okay?" Suki made a hand gesture as though to calm everyone down, "Let me explain. We kinda had this plan in the works for a bit..."

* * *

The night drive back from the warehouse had grown quiet, the only sounds being the bus's engine running and Kakyoin breathing lightly as he slept soundly in his seat. Suki had taken to gazing out the window, finding herself unable to drift off. Thankfully, she wasn't alone in her wakefulness, apart from the driver, who was already preoccupied, as Jotaro was still awake. When the girl turned in her seat and looked behind her, he twirled his cigarette in his mouth, as he continued to look up at the ceiling of the bus, his eyes narrowing.

"Jo~ta~ro," Suki called out quietly, causing the man in question to look at her with a quirked eyebrow. She smiled as she asked, "What've you got knocking around in that skull of yours?"

"Stand strategies."

The girl leaned forward, her head resting on her arms as her eyes glimmered with intrigue in the darkness.

"Do tell."

"I've had a couple of ideas in the works, but first, I want to know something."

"I'm listening."

"How does _your_ Stand work?" Jotaro removed the cigarette from his mouth and flicked some of the ash into a trash can he had pulled over from the front some time ago.

"How…will that…?" Suki asked, tilting her head.

"I may be able to come up with new plans if I know how your Stand works."

"Well, let's see," Suki folded her arms and leaned back against her window, "Knight of Cups can make any weapon I've seen before out of water, but, even though I've been training with my Stand for the past eight or so years, I'm not proficient with _everything_. I can use water knives and water staves pretty well, and I've worked to become decent enough in hand-to-hand combat, but stuff like guns and bigger swords like cutlasses and claymores, I can't use as well. So, uh…" Suki grew sheepish all of a sudden, twirling her fingers over each other, "You won't laugh if I say something really dorky, will you?"

"I make no promises."

Suki sighed and continued on anyway.

"Well, I watched a lot of movies and read a lot of books that tell me how weapons like those are used. Then," Suki raised her hands out in front of her, as though to grasp the handle of an imaginary weapon, "Knight guides my hands to make what I've seen and read a reality. She has to use more water to help me, but, once I've practiced enough, I only use enough water to make the weapon. It's helped me wield a really diverse arsenal of weapons."

"See, you _say_ that's dorky, but it really isn't."

"Really?" The girl asked, returning to her original position, her arms resting on the back of her chair as she looked at the man behind her. He nodded. After a moment of silence, Suki spoke up again.

"So, what are those plans you had in mind?"

"I haven't been able to experiment much, so they're just ideas, for now."

Suki shook her head.

"That's fine. Keep talking."

"Ever heard of a high-water-pressure punch?"

"What?" Suki tilted her head, asking with a giggle, "No, what the hell is that?"

"It's what I would've used against Yellow Temperance, if things went south. It's a punch, but it moves water at a high pressure."

"That…Wait, did you come up with that before or after the fact?"

"You don't need to know," Jotaro dismissed, shifting and leaning back against the window.

"Oh, I most certainly _do_ , though."

"I've also thought of a getaway plan," The thug ignored her previous statement, making a new one of his own.

"Getaway? For what purpose?"

"Less getaway and more get the drop on the enemy, actually."

"Okay…How?"

"Digging."

"Digging?"

"Yeah. Star Platinum's pretty powerful. He could burrow through the ground and let me pop up somewhere else."

Suki grinned.

"Ooh, I like it!"

"Like I said, I haven't been able to experiment with it, yet. But," Jotaro locked eyes with Suki as he asked his next question, "When I pull it out, will you help me?"

The girl's mouth fell slightly open for a moment, before she grinned naughtily.

"Oh, I can help you pull it out anytime."

Jotaro blinked and raised his eyebrows, as what she had just said sunk in. Suki covered her mouth with both hands and snickered.

"Oh, my God, that was so bad."

"Yeah, it was," Jotaro commented, "You should feel bad."

"I do. You know I do," The girl giggled at her awful joke, as the delinquent in front of her sighed.

"I regret telling you there was extra reading material back on that train."

"Oh, now you're just lying to me!" Suki sighed, "But, in response to your earlier question, yes, I will help you."

"Right. You don't need to help with me pulling it out, though. I can do that myself."

The girl's mouth gaped at this, before she smirked.

"See, I knew you were lying. You wouldn't be able to make jokes like that with me if you hadn't pointed me in the right direction!"

"Whatever lets you sleep at night."

"Okay, so, how can I help?"

"I may need a distraction so the enemy doesn't catch on to what I'm doing. Knowing them, though…" Jotaro grew more serious as he made eye contact with the girl again and pointed at her, "It'll probably seem like I'm dead. I'll need you to pull through, though, and keep their attention away from me and from the rest of the group. Can I trust you to do that?"

A moment passed, before Suki nodded, a fire lighting up in her eyes.

"Yeah. You can trust me."

"Alright. You should probably think of a distraction while we're still talking about it."

"Okay…Ooh, how about a big, heartrending speech?"

"How heartrending are we talking?"

"Well, less heartrending and more…corny?"

Jotaro surprised the girl by adopting her own seating position, as he leaned on his arms on the other side of the back of her chair.

"I'm listening."

* * *

"And…that's how it came to be!" Suki finished, her story having ended long after they had gotten back on the road to Pakistan.

"So _that's_ what you two talked about while I was asleep…" Kakyoin mused.

"Well, it certainly seemed to work in your favor. The enemy had no idea that you two were planning something," Joseph affirmed.

"Yeah, and neither did we," Polnareff added.

"It still got a little too close for comfort, though," Suki scratched the back of her head, "And also, I feel I should apologize, Jotaro. Your trenchcoat probably wouldn't have suffered so much if I'd finished a little earlier."

The delinquent sighed before he turned back to the girl from the front seat.

"It's fine. There has to be a tailor in Pakistan, somewhere. They can make a new one for me."

"Uh, do you want me to pay for it, as your favor?"

"You do _not_ have enough money for it, I'll tell you that right now."

"O-kay, then," Suki accepted, pursing her lips, before she turned to Anne and spoke.

"Hey, Anne."

"Hm?" The kid turned and looked at the girl behind her.

"Look, I know I said it before, but I'm really sorry about what I did, and what I said. I was a real jerk," Suki gave the tiny child a sheepish grin, "Think you can forgive me?"

A moment passed, before Anne smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I forgive you. I'm sorry about what I said earlier, too."

"That's okay. So…we're good, then? No more fighting?"

Anne shook her head.

"No more fighting."

The kid turned back and hugged Suki. Somewhat startled at first, the youth relaxed and patted the girl on the head.

"Aww, aren't you being adorable," Polnareff cooed from the driver's seat.

"Wha-! Hey, come on, Polnareff…" Suki pouted and blushed, "You're acting like we're five or something."

Jotaro turned back in his seat and spoke to Anne.

"By the way, you're going back to Hong Kong on an airplane."

"Aw, why?" The girl whined.

"Shut up! Don't you get that you're in the way?" Polnareff snapped.

"Polnareff, you could be a little nicer. Or, you know, _actually_ keep your eyes on the road," Suki commented.

"What? I'm a good driver!"

"Suuuuuure, you are," Suki remarked sarcastically, quirking an eyebrow.

"You _were_ being quite reckless earlier," Kakyoin agreed with the girl, folding his arms and looking to the side.

"I'm more concerned about his road rage, Kakyoin," Suki continued, turning to the honor student with a playful grin, as he raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

"He _did_ seem pretty angry," Even Anne joined in, smiling back at the two.

"Aw, come on, you guys don't-"

Suddenly, a loud clang was heard in the car.

"We might not make it…" Joseph admitted.

As Suki crossed her fingers that they would at least get to the border in one piece, she pored over all of the details of the day.

 _You know, in spite of everything bad that happened today, I'd say this was a pretty good day, overall._

* * *

Chapter Eight – Shut Up and Drive

-END-

|To Be Continued|\|/

* * *

 **So was the Wheel of Fortune episode just the "everyone is suddenly a dick today" episode? Maybe there's something I'm not getting, but with everyone leaving whoever was driving the truck for dead, and almost the whole group, bar Kakyoin, beating up the restaurant-goers, I have to ask some questions. Also, I love how these guys can get shot in the arms, and still be good to go, when it comes to cliff-scaling. XD**

 **JoJo truly is a treasure, hence why I'm writing a fanfic for the series. I hope you all are enjoying it so far! I especially had a ball writing this chapter, and not just because of the big, dorky Gurren Lagann reference near the end. XD**

 **School is starting back up for me next week, but I hope that I can keep being punctual with chapter posts and chapter writing...Fingers crossed!**  
 **See you all next week for the next chapter!**

 **-BlueBow**


	10. Chapter 9 - Schindleria Praematurus

**WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by another warning right beforehand, and another line right where the explicit scene ends. You have been warned.**

* * *

The evening of the day they had defeated Wheel of Fortune, the group finally reached the Indo-Pakistani border. Fortunately, not only had they made the trip in one piece, but they were also greeted by a small collection of shops, alongside a hotel, an airport, and even an aquarium.

 _I get wanting to cater to the needs of people crossing the border, but I draw the line at an_ aquarium _being a necessity,_ Suki thought, _not that its existence here is a_ bad _thing…_

Once they reached the hotel, the group split in two, with Jotaro making his way to the tailor to place an order for a new trenchcoat, Suki and Anne in tow, while Polnareff and Kakyoin accompanied Joseph to the airport to see when the next plane to Hong Kong would be available. As they regrouped at the hotel, the group found that not only would the jacket be ready by the next day, but so would the plane.

"Mother of all conveniences…" Suki mused.

"I presume that they're used to dealing with people who are in a hurry to reach their next destination," Kakyoin suggested.

"Let's see…" Joseph thought aloud, bringing the group's attention back to the subject at hand, "In terms of room arrangements, we'll probably need to get four rooms…"

"Wait, why four? There's six of us, we would only need three," Suki recalculated.

"But don't you and the kid want rooms to yourselves?" Polnareff asked, remembering the bickering they had done at the hotel in Singapore.

"I don't mind rooming with her," Anne piped up.

"No arguments here," Suki admitted with a shrug.

Polnareff raised an eyebrow before sighing and folding his arms.

"I just don't understand you two. How'd you do a one-eighty from being mortal enemies to best friends?"

 _Good question_. _I mean I know_ I've _been in the same position as Anne before,_ Suki pondered, remembering the close call she and the little girl had had earlier that day, _I guess what I did and said left an impact on her._

"Life is just strange like that, sometimes, Polnareff," Suki answered with a smirk.

The group made their way to the front desk to check in. As Joseph wrote out a check to the hotel, Suki cast her gaze in different directions, examining the lobby.

Compared to their accommodations in Singapore, this hotel was nowhere near as flashy. There wasn't much in the way of decorations; however, the random fountain that was situated in the middle of the lobby caught the eye, having a block with arms that spewed the water falling into the main pool as a centerpiece. Or, at least, the water _should've_ been landing in the bottom pool. Whoever created the decoration must've been having a bad day, as the water landed in a tub that had been placed next to the fountain. From the lobby, two hallways separated off, one leading to a restaurant of sorts, while the other led to several doors, presumably with hotel rooms behind them. Off to the right of the desk stood a vending machine.

Suki squinted her eyes, not believing what she was seeing, as she gazed upon a familiar figure, one she had seen quite recently. Moving away from the group, she walked over to the man in the process of purchasing a beverage from the machine. Unable to believe her eyes, she spoke up. "Brent Wilson…Willy, right?"

The man turned upon hearing his name, his dark eyes curious as he looked at the girl standing next to him. His uniform was much more casual than what he had been wearing back on the freighter to Singapore, a black T-shirt flowing over a pair of faded jeans. His long brown locks, which had previously been held back in an unkempt ponytail, were now allowed to flow freely, and his countenance showed no evidence that he had ever been sickly, the once thick bags that sat under his eyes completely gone with no trace. Willy stared the girl in front of him down, before his eyes brightened and he showed his teeth in a wide grin.

"Long time, no see, Suki!" Brent said.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I could ask you the same thing. I thought you all were going to stay in Singapore?"

The girl shook her head.

"We've got business to take care of in Cairo. We can't exactly stay in one place for long." The girl explained.

"Cairo? Couldn't you just take a plane there?"

Suki recalled the explanation Kakyoin and Joseph had told her when she had asked the same question.

"We…don't like planes," She stated.

"Ah, I getcha. That's like me and boats, I realized. Just can't get along."

"Yeah, something like that," Suki muttered. "Anyway, I thought _you_ had a job in Singapore? What happened to that?"

"Well, after you taught me about Stands, I decided to do a bit of soul-searching, I guess you could say. Also…" The man scratched the back of his neck, "I realized that being a freighter employee wouldn't be the best way of conquering my phobia."

Suki raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I wanted to get that out of the way as soon as I could, and I thought jumping headfirst into the deep end would be the best way to solve the problem! I couldn't stand that I wasn't able to save Johnson when he was in trouble. That's when I realized that…" Willy folded his arms and bowed his head slightly, as though reluctant to admit he was wrong, "That I needed to take smaller steps."

 _I…don't know whether to call that brave or impulsive…_ Suki shook her head, _then again, I'm one to talk when it comes to big decisions like that. I wonder how Abdul got so far with his own fear…_

"This a friend of yours, Suki?" The girl jumped at hearing Polnareff's voice so close by, not having realized that the rest of her group had walked up behind her without her noticing.

"Now that I think about it, I think I recognize him…" Joseph thought aloud, scratching his chin.

"He was one of the workers on the freighter we took to get to Singapore!" Suki explained.

"Brent Wilson. Call me Willy. Nice to meet you," The man bowed in a manner that dripped with charisma.

 _Oh, wait. Willy and Johnson,_ Suki thought, grinning inwardly, _I shouldn't find this funny._

"So, if you're not working on that freighter anymore, what are you doing here?" Suki asked, putting a finger to her chin.

"Well, the vending machines at the aquarium don't carry root beer, so I have to come over here during my off-hours if I'm thirsty for something other than water."

"Aquarium worker, huh? Guess that means you have to get close to the water a lot…" Suki mused, tilting her head.

"I actually don't care for the creatures directly. I'm an aquatic scientist. I use models, long term data, theory, and comparative studies to answer a wide variety of questions about water. I'm in the lab there, more often than not, working towards answers that will help the workers maintain and cultivate the ecosystem we have on display."

"Wow, that's really cool! I didn't know you could shoot up from freighter worker to research scientist in such a short span of time!" Suki spoke in wonder, her fists raised to her chin.

"Well, much as I want this fear cured ASAP, I'm not about to let my years of schooling go to waste! Having connections certainly helps, too," Willy put a hand to his chin in thought for a moment before he spoke up again, "You know, I could give you guys a tour of the facility, if you wanted."

"Are you sure? Can you do that? Is tonight okay?" Suki asked.

"I'd have to talk with my superiors, first, but I don't think they'd be too opposed to it," The brunette expressed. "They're pretty mellow, for the most part. Tonight should be fine."

"Then, I think-!"

Suki was stopped by a hand covering her mouth.

"Could you give us a moment?" Joseph requested, as they walked further away from the vending machine, leaving Willy standing there with a quirked eyebrow, before he walked over to the front desk and began chatting with the employee.

"What's the matter?" Suki asked once they were far enough away that he couldn't hear them chatting.

"You idiot. He's an enemy Stand user, that's what the matter is," Jotaro pulled his hat down over his eyes.

"What? No, he isn't!" Suki defended.

"He followed us all the way from Singapore. Is there something you don't understand about that, Suki?" Kakyoin queried.

"He didn't follow us! He isn't an enemy Stand user," Suki asserted.

"I remember now; you spoke with him on the boat and found out he was a Stand user, but you seemed to trust him right away," Joseph recalled, folding his arms, "You never did explain why you had so much faith in him. Why is that?"

"Well, you see…"

Suki proceeded to explain the odd glint that she would see in people's eyes whenever anyone mentioned Dio's name.

"I don't know why it happens, but something about even speaking his name, to people who follow him blindly, makes their eyes react that way," Suki concluded.

"Why didn't you tell us about this before? I would think this would be at the forefront of important information to tell us," Kakyoin expressed.

"Hmph. Knowing you, you probably forgot," Jotaro argued.

"Heh, on the contrary, Jotaro, I'm not so dense," Suki raised a finger to punctuate her point, "If we went around screaming 'Dio' at people, don't you think the enemy Stand users would catch the hint and be even more cautious about revealing themselves?"

"That's a fair point, but I still think it would've been useful to know earlier," Joseph admitted, "If we let Dio's name slip nonchalantly, we would be able to tell if we're talking to an enemy Stand user or not."

"Ah, heheh, I guess you're right," Suki scratched the back of her neck, "Sorry about that."

"So, you're saying that that guy isn't one of Dio's minions because you didn't see a glint in his eyes?" Polnareff requested clarification.

Suki nodded.

"I'm not sure we should take him up on his offer," Joseph voiced his concern.

"What? Why? We're not leaving until tomorrow, anyway!" Suki pouted, putting her hands on her hips.

"We should be conserving our energy while we can," Mr. Joestar asserted.

"Mr. Joestar has a point, Suki," Kakyoin added, "Besides, what if an enemy Stand user attacked while we were looking around? We may be able to handle it as a group, but it would still wear us out."

"Yeah, I'd rather just spend the evening in my room, anyway," Polnareff sighed.

"Aww, you guys are no fun!" Anne finally piped up. Suki looked down at the small girl beside her.

"You wanted to go, too, huh?" The older girl asked.

"Yeah, I've never been to an aquarium before! I've always wanted to visit one!" The twelve-year-old enthused.

"Well, you two definitely can't go alone. Only one of you can fight, and you all know that fighting on your own only leads to trouble," Joseph lectured.

Suki sighed. "Sorry, Anne, but I don't think they're gonna budge on this."

A small silence ensued, before the last voice they expected to hear chimed in.

"I'll go with them."

The two girls looked to Jotaro with surprised expressions.

"Jotaro, are you sure?" Suki asked.

The thug shrugged. "I'll admit, I'm curious about this place. Besides, if there _is_ a Stand user there, that means, regardless of if we go there or not, he's going to follow us. There's no point running from someone who's going to come after us anyway."

"Y-Yeah, plus," Suki added on, after a moment of clear thought, "Dio expects us to continue on the journey with no distractions! There's a much lower chance of an enemy Stand user being there than anywhere else!"

"And, who says we can't conserve energy while we visit?" Even Anne chimed in. Suki nodded at her.

"Oh, my God…" Joseph gave in, bringing a hand over his face, "Fine, but you three still have to be extra careful, got it?"

"Thank you so much, Mr. Joestar!" Suki thanked, clasping her hands in gratitude.

She then turned and walked back over to the vending machine, where Willy stood waiting.

"If we can get that visit in tonight, then we're golden!" Suki said.

"Awesome!" Willy responded. "I actually managed to get in touch with my superiors while you all were talking, and they approved!"

"That's great to hear!"

"What time works best for you?"

"Well, let's see…" Suki put a finger to her chin, looking to Anne and Jotaro, who had joined her shortly after she rushed off to regroup with Willy, "We were about to get dinner, and that should take about an hour, but, uh…" Scratching the back of her head embarrassedly, she requested, "Do you mind if I hop in the shower real quick before we meet up?"

"I want to shower, too!" Anne spoke up.

"Not a problem! Does about eight sound like a good time to meet you here?" Willy asked.

Suki looked to Jotaro and Anne, and they both nodded. She turned her attention back to Willy with a grin.

"Sounds like a plan!" Suki affirmed.

"Alright, see you then!"

* * *

"What a day," Suki sighed, as she collapsed onto her bed without fanfare. Fortunately, dinner had lasted a shorter amount of time than she thought it would, so she had plenty of time to wash the muck and sweat off of her body. Even still, she wanted to take a second to bask in the break they all had finally received, as she let her eyes slip closed in thought.

 _Man, it's just been a nonstop rollercoaster with no breaks since we reached Calcutta…_

She allowed the memories of the past few days to roll through her mind like a film reel. Much as her brain screamed at her to dwell on the demise of her friend, she refused to let it cloud her thoughts once again with tears and regret. After that happened, there was the trip to doctor, the bus ride to Varanasi, the boxer who challenged them to a death match, the arrival in Varanasi, followed by the unceasing journey to the Indo-Pakistani border, wherein they encountered Wheel of Fortune.

 _Hell, even_ before _that, there was little room for a break._

The first time she met the group on Strength was followed immediately by the stress at the possibility of drifting with no assistance, but help was quickly received, thankfully. Following that was the arrival in Singapore and the battle against Minaj.

 _I hope she's doing alright._

That same day, The Devil reared his ugly head and scared Suki into thinking Polnareff had been killed, when he was alive and well. Then, he was arrested, and she had to wear a disguise for the rest of their time in Singapore. Not even given a day to rest, Yellow Temperance attacked her and Jotaro, but that was dealt with well enough. The train to the port to take them to Calcutta traveled fast over two days, but it was far from relaxing. If anything, it was full of equal parts thrill and chill, as she finally learned what sex was, found that secret room, and…

Suki bit her lip, remembering her encounter with Curt Kobain, and the events that preceded and succeeded that meeting.

 _Dammit, I'm dwelling. He wouldn't want that._

The girl opened her eyes to see Anne staring at her from her bed. Suki chuckled. "It's fine, I'm not gonna fall asleep and miss our trip."

"You looked like you were thinking pretty hard," Anne observed.

"Well, I kinda was. About a lot of things," She turned her eyes to the ceiling, "A lot of stuff has happened in a short amount of time."

There was a small pause before the twelve-year-old spoke up again. "Hey, so are you two dating?"

Suki shifted her eyes to the child, quirking an eyebrow. "Who two?"

"You and Jotaro."

"Huh?" Suki sat up, supporting herself with an elbow on the bed as she smiled confusedly, "Wait, I thought you…?"

"Well, I did, but if you two are going out, then he's off limits," Anne shrugged, "So, are you two dating or not?"

Suki chuckled. "Now, what would give you _that_ idea?"

"You and Jotaro are always talking to each other and teasing each other."

"Uh, yeah, but, friends can do that just as much as romantic partners."

"Yeah, but you bounce off of him differently than you do with the others in the group," Anne explained.

 _Just how much has this girl been studying romance?_ Suki mused, _I mean, I can't say_ I'm _an expert myself, but someone having this many ideas, at_ this _age…_

Suki shook her head and raised her hands in a dismissive gesture. "Regardless of how I bounce off of him compared to everyone else, he's just a friend. No more, no less."

"Aww, you're no fun," The younger girl expressed with a pout.

"Anne, sometimes people will get together romantically, and sometimes, they'll just be friends. Who knows? Maybe something will happen down the road, in which case, I'll let you know, but, in the meantime, we're just friends," Suki took that moment to glance at the clock, hoping to change the subject, "Anyway, it's almost seven-thirty. Do you want to shower first, or should I?"

Anne hopped off the bed with a grin. "I'll go first!"

"Alright, see you in a bit, then!" Suki waved to the girl, as she waved back and disappeared into the bathroom.

As soon as she disappeared, Suki laid back down on the bed, as she stared at the ceiling once more.

 _Hmm… She certainly got me thinking, though…_ Would _I want to be something more with anyone in the group?_

She took a moment to reminisce about the time she had spent with each of the men in the group that she could conceivably see herself with.

 _Polnareff… He was the first person to open up to me, and he definitely helped me feel comfortable amongst the group. He's a really sweet man, even if he can be kind of a jackass sometimes. No one's perfect, though. Honestly, he...kind of feels like an older brother._

 _Kakyoin… I'm thankful for how much time he's devoted to helping me hone my skills in English. He can be a bit snobbish at times, but he does seem to care about everyone in the group. I feel like he's opened up the least to me, out of the group. Then again, outside of study time, I've never really gotten the chance to speak with him one-on-one. I should fix that soon._

 _Jotaro… It's strange, I would've expected to know the least about him. Now that I think on it…Maybe that_ is _true. I know quite a few of the likes and dislikes of each of the other members of the group, but I think I only know a couple of either of his. At least I know this much: he's really rough around the edges, but…he has a good heart. I haven't seen nearly as many instances of this, compared to how often Kakyoin or Polnareff have shown me kindness, but I know he's got something soft underneath all of those hard edges._

 _Well, either way…They're all really good friends. I don't…think I would_ mind _if things ended up going further, but it's fine if they don't._

Suki was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of a knock at the door. Getting up, she padded over to the entrance and spied through the peephole, smiling at who she saw. Unlocking and opening the door, she stepped back to let Jotaro in. "Anne's in the shower. You can make yourself comfortable."

The man nodded and pulled the chair out from the desk in the corner of the room, leaning back in it just as Suki sat back down on her bed, pulling her legs up in a cross-legged sitting position. A few moments passed, filled with nothing but the sound of running water.

 _Guess he doesn't feel like talking…_

She cast furtive glances at him, wondering where to start with a conversation.

"You're staring again," Jotaro noted.

"Huh?" Suki tilted her head.

 _Oh, right. I_ did _react pretty dramatically when he removed his coat the first time, didn't I?_ Suki pondered, scratching the back of her neck.

"I mean, you have a right to flatter yourself," She encouraged. "Not everyone on the planet has a body like you have."

"You're really helping your case of not being interested in me, I'm just saying," The thug crossed his arms as he spoke with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I think finding someone attractive doesn't necessarily mean you want to bed them," Suki looked up to see Jotaro quirking an eyebrow.

"Really now?" He was asking a genuine question.

The girl smirked. "I could list off examples, if you want."

"No need," He pulled his hat down.

A few more minutes passed in silence.

 _Maybe I should ask now…_

"Hey, uh, Jotaro," The thug looked up at his name being called, his expression as stoic as always, "What do you like?"

Jotaro quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are some things you like?" She probed. "Media, activities, colors, animals, whatever. I just…don't feel like we've ever really had a casual conversation about it, is all."

"How casual is it if you ask me like that?"

"Ugh, I'm being serious!" Suki threw her hands on the bed in a gesture of mild irritation, "Is it so wrong that I want to know more about you?"

"Why do you want to know so much?"

"Because we're friends! I…I want to know more about my friends. That's it."

A pause. Then, Jotaro spoke. "You're…serious?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? I meant every word!" Seeing the thinly-veiled confusion in the man's eyes, she tried to predict, "Do you not _want_ me to care?"

Jotaro raised an eyebrow before sighing and turning to the side. "It's…not that."

"Then, what is it?" Suki asked.

The delinquent pulled his hat over his eyes. "People like you…They-"

"Hey."

The man had not heard the girl walk over to where he was sitting, as she gently grasped the hand holding his hat and pushed it up, revealing his face to her. He looked at her with slightly wider eyes, the only indication of his surprise. Suki smiled gently. "Can't I see your face, if you're gonna tell me what's wrong?"

Jotaro paused.

Realizing she might've been forcing him, Suki took her hand away and leaned back. "S-Sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"They don't usually care enough to ask."

The girl turned back to the delinquent, her expression quizzical. Jotaro took in a breath and exhaled, locking eyes with her as he repeated himself.

"People like you don't usually care enough to ask me stuff like this," He folded his arms, never once removing his eyes from hers, "That's why you intrigue me. You're not like them."

There was a moment, then, where everything seemed to stop, even the sound of rushing water, as the girl processed the words that had just been spoken to her. A mix of emotions washed over her like a wave of seawater brushing over a sandy coast. Flattered at being intriguing, fascinated by being different from anyone else, but, most of all…

She was sad.

 _No, don't cry. He said that's annoying, remember?_

Suki looked up, biting her tears back as she warbled two words. "I'm sorry."

The man sighed. "Good grief, you keep apologizing for shit you didn't do."

"I know," She agreed, "but, it's just…I'm sad that there are people who act that way towards you."

"Yeah, well, this world is full of them. Might as well get used to it."

"But that's a crime!" Suki cried.

Jotaro raised his eyebrows.

"I mean, it's a damn crime! They don't even care enough to ask you basic questions?" Suki shook her head, her eyes burning with a seething anger at the audacity of these people, "That's blasphemy! Just how bad do you have to be to be that cruel?!"

For the first time in a long while, Jotaro was stunned silent. He was able to recover quickly, but the sincerity of her words and the honesty of her rage still hit home. "…Pretty bad."

"Are you two done yet?"

Suki jumped at the new voice that spoke up much too near to her, as Anne stood just out of the corner of the girl's eye.

"Uh, y-yeah, I'll hop in the shower," Suki murmured, a heavy blush coloring her face as she made her way to the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her, the sound of rushing water quickly restarted, as a quiet, feminine voice could be heard humming a slow tune.

As Anne sat on the bed, Jotaro readjusted his hat, staring at the brim with narrowed eyes.

"So, do you like her?" The little girl queried.

The man sighed. "Of course you'd ask that…" He muttered. Speaking up, he looked straight at the child as he responded, "She's just a friend. Nothing more, nothing less. It doesn't _need_ to be anything else, so drop it."

Anne swallowed, as she laid back on the bed, folding her arms. A long silence ensued, where the only sound that could be heard was Suki's humming and the rush of water from the shower nozzle. For some reason, listening to the girl's voice mingle with the sounds of the shower created an odd yet inviting lackadaisical atmosphere. The sounds were soothing, and both people in the bedroom had no desire to move a muscle as they let the tune wash over them.

After finishing the first song, the girl in the shower began to hum a different song. One that was much faster-paced, carrying an air of excitement. A few moments of listening to her voice passed before Jotaro recognized the song that she was singing to herself.

It was the song that she had heard him play on the piano back in Singapore. The fast-paced, upbeat tone was unmistakable. Even the singer could barely keep up with how quickly the notes strung into one another.

"This is a nice song," Anne expressed, as she stared at the ceiling "I wonder what it's called."

Jotaro let a small knowing smile grace his features, as he looked out the window of the hotel room. "Who knows."

* * *

"And this is our jellyfish exhibit," Willy announced as he gestured to the tank of the creatures in question.

"Whoa, so cool!" Anne enthused, pressing her hands up to the glass. The creatures seemed to take no notice of the excited girl, as they simply continued to float about, their tentacles flowing behind them like kite strings.

So far, the group had walked through an archway tank that loomed over their heads, allowing sharks to swim above them, and a small sea turtle exhibit. The blue glow of the fluorescent lights, bouncing off of the tanks filled with water and undersea life, created a calming atmosphere that was welcomed especially by Suki and Jotaro. As Willy led them along through the building, Suki couldn't help but feel like a pair of eyes was always on her. She chose to dismiss this as simple paranoia caused by the long journey full of enemy Stand users.

As the four walked along, they came to a much more open, circular room, filled with various small tanks of sea creatures built into the walls.

"Feel free to look around here for a while. I need to run back to the lab and check on something real quick," With that, Willy bowed and exited via the hall they had used to get to the room. After a moment, Anne dashed off to look at a surgeonfish tank near the hallway leading to the next exhibit.

"Don't run off too far!" Suki warned.

"I won't!" Anne called back.

Suki breathed a sigh, before walking up to Jotaro's side, as he gazed at a small, colorful tank of clownfish, darting through and about the two sea anemone that also occupied their habitat.

"You like that song?" Jotaro questioned.

"Hm? What song?" The girl tilted her head as she asked.

"The song I played back in Singapore," The delinquent fiddled with the brim of his hat, looking at the girl out of the corner of his eye, "You were humming it earlier."

"Oh, uh, you heard that?" Suki asked, a small tinge of red lighting up her cheeks, "Yeah, I do like it. What's the name of that song, anyway?"

"'Stand Proud.'"

"Seems like a fitting name!" She smiled, "Does it have any lyrics?"

"None that I'm aware of," Jotaro claimed, as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Oh. Maybe we could come up with lyrics?"

Jotaro raised an eyebrow.

"Aw come on, the song is just _begging_ to have words put to it! I know it!" The girl asserted, raising her fists to her chin.

"Hmph. Next you're going to suggest it should be our theme song or something," The thug spoke as he turned and walked around the room to another tank.

"…That _would_ be kinda cool…" Suki murmured, after a pause. She picked up her pace and quickly followed behind the man.

Unbeknownst to either of them, the clownfish in their tank and the other groups of small fish in the nearby habitats had stopped darting around to stare blankly at the two people who were currently walking away from their tanks.

"Puffer fish, huh?" Suki read aloud, as she looked up and locked eyes with a creature in question, as it stared back blankly at her. Suddenly, two more joined the first, their glazed eyes looking out of the tank at the observers.

"Huh. That's odd," Jotaro observed.

"What is?" Suki asked, as she turned to her companion.

"Fish usually aren't this calm. Not when sudden movements are happening outside the tank."

"Sudden movements, huh?" Suki put a hand to her chin in thought, "What would you classify as sudden movements?"

"Most movement outside of the tank," He explained, "They can't keep track of it all."

"Hmm…I'm just wondering why they're all staring at us…" She murmured apprehensively. As the two spoke, more and more puffer fish quickly joined the pack, until they covered half of the top of the tank. Suddenly, a flash of red and grey shot by, almost too fast to see. Turning her head slightly to Jotaro, she asked a question. "Hey, Jotaro, how much do you know about fish?"

"Enough," He stated glibly.

"Okay, well I've got a question…Can different species of fish coexist in one tank?"

"It depends. What species are we talking about?" The delinquent seemed to be catching on, as he had also witnessed the blur.

"Well, puffer fish, and…" Five more grey and red blurs flew by, streaking through the water, before joining up with seven more and collecting at the back of the tank. The girl pointed at the group that had collected, "…Them…"

Jotaro narrowed his eyes. "Piranhas."

The fish in the back all bared toothy grins, filled with teeth that were all as sharp as needles. The puffer fish in front suddenly all puffed up, their spines making contact with the glass wall.

"Uh, Jotaro, this glass… It's too thick for them to get through…right?" Suki asked.

"It should be."

The puffer fish continued to tackle the glass, their spines eventually poking through, as water began to spout out from the holes they had created. The piranhas then all rushed the wall as a group, their teeth gnashing and grinding as though they couldn't wait for a meal.

"Get back!" The delinquent bellowed, as he yanked the girl over by the arm just as the glass shattered and the fish escaped, landing on the floor in puddles of water and shards. All they could do was flop about.

"What's wrong, I heard a-!" Willy came rushing in from the hallway they had entered through, stopping upon bearing witness to the mess that lay before him, "What the heck happened here?!"

"The fish…they just busted through the glass," Suki explained with wide eyes.

"What?' Willy shook his head, "Hang on, I need to get the caretakers over here quick. Give me a moment."

As Willy walked away to take care of the phone call, Jotaro crouched down next to the puddles and fish, closely examining them.

"You think…You think it's an enemy Stand?" Suki whispered, hoping Willy wouldn't hear them.

"I don't think. I know. I've been to the aquarium back home a dozen times or so, and fish don't act like this. Even if they did, the glass separating them from visitors wouldn't be so thin that they could just bash their way through whenever they wanted."

"Yeah…" The girl joined the man in crouching by the fish, as she put a hand to her chin, "It's strange, though…"

"What's strange?" He asked.

"It seemed like…As soon as the fish hit the floor, any aggression they had toward us vanished. I mean, if it hadn't, I think they'd be hopping after us, regardless of how far away we got."

"Well, let's see," The delinquent stood and took a few steps back, and Suki followed. The puffer fish and piranhas continued to flop about in place, giving no attention to the two people standing about a meter away.

At that moment, Willy rushed back from the phone. "The caretakers are on their way, and, while I had them on the phone, I asked them a couple of questions. They said they replaced the glass on these tanks just today. That should've been unbreakable, from either side! And…" He looked upon the collection of grounded fish, "The piranhas shouldn't have been moved here…"

"Moved?" Jotaro asked.

"I walked by the piranha tank earlier, and it was completely empty. I thought the fish had been moved so the tank could be cleaned, and this turned out to be true, according to the caretakers, but…" He gestured to the broken tank, "Why would they be moved here…?"

"The plaque says these are freshwater puffer fish. Aren't piranhas freshwater fish too?" Suki asked, tilting her head.

"Just because two fish can live in the same habitat, doesn't mean they should. These puffer fish are small enough that the piranhas would easily just swallow them whole, or pick at them until they died from stress," Jotaro explained.

"It seems like…" Suki stopped as she looked around, scanning the circular room, "Jotaro, where did Anne go?"

His eyebrows raised, as he looked about. "Shit, where did she…?"

"Willy," Suki addressed, turning to him, "did you see Anne anywhere when you came back through that hallway?"

The scientist shook his head.

"Let's try this hallway first, then," Jotaro suggested, pointing towards the hall opposite the one they had entered through. Suki nodded and walked with the delinquent, stopping upon noticing that Willy was not following them. She turned back and tilted her head, asking a silent question.

"I have to stay here until the caretakers show up. It shouldn't be long," The worker reassured.

She nodded and turned away again, following Jotaro as they walked quickly down the dimly lit hallway.

"Dammit," Suki swore, "I _told_ her not to run off too far!"

"Well, maybe she's perfectly fine," Jotaro suggested, "She's further away from your 'friend' than we are."

"Hey, I told you he wasn't a bad guy! He didn't have a glint!"

"Yeah, but who's to say that hasn't changed?"

"Huh?"

"We haven't breathed Dio's name around him this whole time. Who's to say that he started working for him after we left Singapore?"  
They turned a corner, Suki taking a wide arc around it while Jotaro swiftly turned on his heel and kept walking.

"That's crazy talk! He didn't even know what a Stand was until I told him!" Suki recalled.

"You sure he wasn't just lying to you?"

"I'm _sure_ of it!" She enthused.

 _Then again…He never_ did _show me what his Stand abilities were…_ Suki pondered, _maybe this_ is _his handiwork…_ The girl shook her head, _No. I'm sticking to my guns. He didn't believe in Dio before, and he doesn't now, I'm sure of it!_

As the two continued walking, they found that the path split ahead into two opposite-facing corridors, one going left, labeled with a sign that read "Octopus Exhibit" and one going right, labeled with a sign that read "Dolphin Exhibit".

"Let's check this path first," Jotaro suggested, pointing to the path on the left.

"Huh? Uh, okay," The girl spoke with a nod, following the man down the hall. As she picked up her stride next to the man, she asked, "So, how are you so sure she's this way?"

"I'm not. I just know she'd be in less danger down the right path than the left."

"What makes you say that?"

"Dolphins are gentle creatures. They don't act violently unless provoked."

Suki wanted to question more, but she ultimately decided against it, choosing to trust her friend's aquatic knowledge.

They came around the corner to the large tank containing the octopi. Peering into the tank, her forehead pressed against the glass, Suki only saw the sea creatures. Suddenly, the figure of a small girl was thrown into the tank.

"Anne!" Suki cried. Retracing the trajectory from where she'd been tossed, Suki spotted a man with the same uniform as Willy's, but wearing a ball cap.

 _Okay. Think. How to get into that tank?_

"Hey," Suki addressed Jotaro, "You think you can punch through the glass? Just a hole big enough for Knight to get to the water."

The man nodded and summoned Star Platinum. The Stand floated to the top of the tank and extended two of his fingers at a breakneck pace, shattering a small hole in the glass. As Star removed his fingers, water began to gush freely from the hole he had created. The girl called out her own Stand and sent her through the hole. The two youths could see Knight floating lazily in the water before dashing to her destination. Thankfully, it seemed as if the octopi sitting at the bottom of the tank had not yet noticed the tiny child's presence, as Knight swiftly made her way over to Anne's side.

"Hey, look out!" Jotaro warned.

"What-?!" Suki felt a tendril wrap tightly around her neck, pulling Knight further under the water. Out of the corner of her eye, the Stand saw Anne captured by a tentacle, as it wrapped around her leg and yanked her under. Looking down, Suki saw that their captor was an octopus that had been sitting on the floor of the tank, its tentacles stretching up far beyond its limits.

 _Wh-What the hell?!_ Suki wondered, afraid of losing precious air if she spoke.

 _Growing bigger and living longer than any other octopus species, the largest Giant Pacific Octopus was nine meters across and weighed more than two-hundred seventy kilograms; however, the average size of the species is about five meters across and around fifty kilograms._

"Its tentacles grew…" Jotaro expressed.

"What's happening?!" Willy shouted, as he came around the corner. Suki briefly wondered how he managed to find them so quickly, but decided that that was a less pressing issue than what was going on at that moment.

 _Well, this Stand user just made the same mistake Yellow Temperance did. I'm surrounded by water!_

Knight of Cups quickly summoned a watery sword, glowing white like her eyes in the water, and, after thinking a quick apology for the octopus, she sliced the tentacle. The octopus continued to stare at her, not registering the pain.

 _Why didn't that work…?_

"Don't you understand?" An unknown voice spoke from a dock sitting above the tank. The Stand looked up to see the man from before, adjusting his cap over short black hair.

 _Giant Pacific octopi are quite intelligent, having learned how to mimic other octopi, solve mazes in lab tests, and even open jars!_

"My Tongue Twister can control and alter the physical attributes of sea creatures," The man leaned forward with his hands on his hips, "Whether you wanted to hurt the octopus or me, neither will work! The octopus is too smart for your tricks, and my Stand has spread to every creature in this tank! You'd have to kill every octopus in here to get me!"

As the enemy Stand user spoke, the other four octopi occupying the tank slithered over along the sandy bottom.

 _This…This doesn't look good!_ Knight looked over to Anne, who seemed as though she were desperately trying to hold her breath, but it looked like she wouldn't be able to hold on for long.

At that moment, Suki was aware of a panel in the wall opening like a door in the corner of her vision. Looking over, she saw the doorway was empty. As she looked about frantically for someone to help, she noticed that Jotaro and Willy had vanished.

 _Wh-Where…?_ Suki felt her vision become hazy, her lungs screaming at her to breathe, in futility. _No…Why…am I…all alone…?_

As she felt her last moments approaching, she heard a battle cry that rang all too familiar to her, as the octopus keeping her Stand in a choke hold flew in an arc onto the dock, finally releasing its victims. The girl collapsed, desperately trying to get air back in her lungs, as she looked up. No one was in the water, save for Anne, even as she pulled her gaze back through Knight's eyes.

Or so she thought. As Anne was pulled away by an invisible force, the octopi's tentacles continued to reach for her, desperate to capture the child; however, as the tentacles approached, an invisible grip appeared on two of the tendrils, as something hurled the sea creatures out of the tank to join the first captor. The enemy Stand user looked on in shock.

"What-! How is this happening?" The man looked behind him to the stairs leading up to the dock, spotting Willy with an arm stretched out in front of him, aiming at the tank, Death of a Bachelor floating behind him in the same manner, as both smirked at the enemy.

"Boss isn't gonna like what you've done, Bim Cash," Willy remarked.

As his concentration flickered for the slightest moment, the figures of Jotaro and Star Platinum shimmered slightly, Jotaro swimming to shore with Anne, as Star made work of throwing the octopi onto dry land.

As the last octopus was tossed onto the shore, Jotaro climbed onto the dock, setting Anne down beside him, as his cloak dissipated.

"H-How…?" Bim Cash stuttered, unable to form a coherent thought.

"Hmph. Someone showed their hand a little too early," Jotaro spoke, bringing the brim of his hat over his eyes, "You can control sea creatures, but you can't do a damn thing if they're not in the water!"

Suki recalled the failed piranha and puffer ambush from earlier, as the fish had seemed to lose all aggression once they were out of the water.

"Taking advantage of animals like that," Jotaro raised his hat and glowered at Bim Cash, as he cracked his knuckles, "You'll get no sympathy from me."

Bim Cash laughed nervously before turning to Willy. "Come on, help me out here!"

"Why would I do that?" Willy folded his arms as he continued, "You've been nothing but an unrepentant asshole to me since you got here."

"But, I thought you said you loved people!" Bim argued. "I'm a person! Help me!"

With a dark chuckle, Willy explained, "A wise man I met on my way here told me something interesting," The scientist pointed at Bim Cash with a smirk, "I love humans, but that doesn't mean I like you personally."

As Bim Cash looked on in fear, Jotaro came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, a gesture that was far from comforting.

"Ready for a nap?" Jotaro asked.

 _That line...He_ knows _it has undertones, right?_ Suki thought.

The man looked at Jotaro in a mixture of terror and confusion.

"N-Nap…?" Bim Cash asked nervously.

"Yeah. As in…" The delinquent started as he walked past Bim Cash. He then turned and pointed at the enemy Stand user. "You're gonna sleep with the fishes."

With that, he called out Star Platinum, the violet wraith rushing forward and unleashing an unstoppable series of punches on the man. His speed made him seem utterly frenzied, but every punch was thrown with pinpoint accuracy, as he laid into Bim Cash with a string of war cries. Star ended the attack with one final jab to the man's face, pushing him back into the water.

With a deep breath, Jotaro called Star Platinum back, giving him a small nod as he phased out of view. After pulling him back onto the dock, Willy approached and checked to make sure Bim was still breathing. As Jotaro worked to place the octopi back in the tank, Willy made a call on the nearby phone. The two men and one girl then walked back down the steps leading to the hidden wall panel. Suki rose from her position as she brought Knight of Cups back to her, just as the three exited the small hallway.

"Are you alright, Suki?" Willy asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about the damage…" Suki apologized, darting her eyes up to the small hole that had led to the floor being coated in water.

The aquatic scientist sighed. "It's fine. It's easily fixed."

"The Speedwagon Foundation can pay for damages. At least, the ones we caused," Jotaro piped up.

"I'm not so sure Mr. Joestar would be okay with that…" Suki mused, "I mean, we made it pretty clear that a Stand user wouldn't show up…"

"I'll just say the coat ended up being more expensive," He darted his eyes to Suki for a split second, "In addition to fixing your clothes."

"Huh?" Suki looked down at herself to see that her clothes were somewhat torn. The seams of the sleeves under her arms were opening to reveal the lighter skin underneath, and the collar of her shirt was torn in a few places. Not to mention…

It felt _tight_. The elastic in her shorts was digging into her stomach, and her arms felt somewhat restrained.

 _I wonder why I didn't notice this until now…_ The girl mused.

"You don't need to worry about that. You wouldn't have done it if Bim Cash hadn't attacked you. Plus, I wouldn't have been able to find you guys if I hadn't heard the sound of glass shattering," Willy shook his head, "I don't know why the heck he lashed out at you like that, but I'll make sure he stays in line while you guys continue on your way."

"Sorry to involve you like this…" Suki murmured.

"It's fine. I at least got some practice in with Death of a Bachelor," Willy folded his arms with a smile, "And I got to help prevent all heck from breaking loose! That's a good day, in my book!"

 _Heck…?_ Suki raised an eyebrow, but she continued without asking a question. "Right, you figured out your Stand ability!" She said excitedly.

"Yep! Wanna see?" With that, the smiling Willy disappeared from all view. Suddenly, Jotaro disappeared from view, then reappeared on the other side of Suki after a few moments. Then, Willy reappeared at the end of the hall and raised a hand in front of him, pointed in Jotaro's direction, as the delinquent phased out of view.

"Wow, so it's invisibility that you can give to other people?" Suki asked.

"Yeah, but it only works from a certain distance. Plus, it isn't perfect yet…" He muttered, as Jotaro's figure appeared for a split nanosecond before disappearing again. "It _does_ mute any sounds you make, save for your voice, so that's a bonus."

"That's really neat! I'm glad you found your ability!" Suki exclaimed.

"Thanks!" Willy said with a grin.

"We should go back," Jotaro suggested.

"Yeah… I don't wanna risk finding any more Stand users coming out of the woodwork. Or, glasswork, I guess I should say," Suki added.

Anne nodded, clearly exhausted, her drenched clothes and hair weighing her down considerably. Just then, a pair of men appeared from around the corner, rushing to the panel. After engaging in a brief, quiet chat with Willy, they disappeared into the small hallway.

"Here, I'll take you guys back to the hotel," Willy offered, making a beckoning motion.

"Thanks," Suki said.

After a few moments of walking in silence, with Anne taking the front of the group, no doubt wanting to get to the hotel sooner rather than later, and Jotaro and Suki pulling up the rear, Suki voiced a question to the man beside her. "Am I…really, _truly_ useful to you guys?"

"I told you, we would've-" Jotaro started.

"I know. You would've left me long ago if I didn't contribute anything," Suki turned to her ally, her expression serious, "But how useful can I be with a group of people who have no limits when it comes to fighting? You all have abilities that let you contribute offensively and let you do actual damage. I don't."

Jotaro looked at her, having stopped, as Willy and Anne continued down the hall. The two further down the hall looked back upon noticing two pairs of footsteps had silenced.

"You guys coming?" Willy wondered.

"Just a sec," Jotaro assured, turning fully to the girl who was staring at the floor. "Look, think back to every fight you've participated in. What did you do?"

Suki did as she was told and went through each of the Stand users she had faced with her allies.

 _Forever…Minaj…The Devil…Yellow Temperance…Curt Kobain and his brothers…Hol Horse…Ellelle Cool Jay…Wheel of Fortune…and now, Bim Cash…_

The girl shook her head.

"But you guys get better results with the powers you have! My powers don't match up to everyone else…" Suki clenched her fists at her sides, "I…can't fight like you guys."

"Why is that a problem?"

"H-Huh?"

"Good grief, how blind are you?" Jotaro muttered, shaking his head, "You told us before that neither you nor your Stand is geared to fight Dio."

"I-It's a problem… I want…to do more," Suki shook her head, her voice slowly increasing in volume, "I thought I would be fine fighting by helping from the sidelines, but I'm not. A knight is supposed to…supposed to fight alongside people, not behind them. I can't do anything more, and I can't stand it!"

Knight of Cups, worried about her user, phased into view and floated in front of her, looking from Suki to Jotaro and back again. The wraith then put her hands on Suki's shoulders, a concerned expression painting her face. The girl looked up and let out a small, short huff of a laugh, putting her hands on her Stand's arms. Meeting her gaze, Suki spoke. "I just wish we were stronger."

A few moments passed, before Knight let go of Suki's shoulders and nodded wistfully, as she rejoined her user's figure.

"I don't know what to tell you."

"Hm?" Suki looked over to Jotaro, who had turned away slightly and was fiddling with the brim of his hat.

"I don't know what to tell you, to help solve that."

Suki sighed. "It's…fine. I'm just glad you listened to all of that."

"You _have_ been helping though," He stated.

Suki looked away with a dismal expression.

"I mean it," He said.

She then looked up to see Jotaro looking straight at her, locking his blue eyes with hers.

"Stop worrying about it," He nearly snapped.

A moment of silence passed. Then, Suki took a deep breath in and exhaled, and met her gaze with her friend's again. "Okay. I'll stop."

The man nodded back, and began to continue down the hall once more, the girl following closely behind.

"Oh, that's right!" Suki realized, as she caught her fist in her hand, "You never told me what you liked!" Jotaro looked at her with a quirked eyebrow, "I mean, it seems like you like fish…"

"Yeah," The man paused for a few moments, before speaking up again, as he fiddled with the brim of his cap, "I like _Columbo_."

" _Columbo_? What's that?" She asked.

"It's a detective show," He explained. "Made in America."

"Oh, I'd never heard of it. Then again, I don't watch too many detective shows."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"Well, sorry I can't meet your level of deductive reasoning, Sherlock," Suki admitted with a chuckle, as the two continued down the softly glowing blue hallway.

* * *

"So, you're leaving tomorrow?" Willy asked.

Suki turned back to the car Willy had used to drive the trio back to the hotel, as the man leaned back against the vehicle, Jotaro and Anne already having entered the lobby. She nodded. "Thanks again for the visit, and for helping us back there," A moment passed, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize."

"No, but, that enemy Stand user wouldn't have caused you trouble like that if we had just stayed in. Agh…" She ruffled her hair with both hands, "I should've just listened to everyone else."

The aquatic scientist sighed, briefly blowing his long brown hair out of his face. "Look, how about this: I'll forgive you if you tell me what's going on. I'd at least like to know why my asshole coworker suddenly became a bigger asshole."

Suki took a breath. "Okay, well, we're all traveling together to Cairo to defeat one enemy. Dio."

 _Still no glint,_ Suki thought, _Good._

"Ah, right," Brent recalled, "that's the guy whose name you mentioned back on the freighter. What's his deal?"

"Obviously, he doesn't want to be stopped, so he's sent a lot of people out to try and stop us before we even set foot in Egypt. Your coworker just so happened to be one of those people."

"Oh, shit, so they're actually trying to kill you guys?"

"Y-Yeah…Kinda life or death…" Suki muttered.

"Well, I'll keep a close eye on Bim Cash while you guys continue on your way. I'll tell you something, he's not going anywhere until he cleans up the mess he made, and there's a lot of cleaning to do."

"I really appreciate it," After a moment, the girl stuck out her hand, "I guess this is 'goodbye,' then."

"You'll come back and visit though, once this whole Dio business blows over, right?"

"I…I _would_ like to…"

Willy smiled. "Then it's not 'goodbye.' It's 'see you later,'" he explained, grasping her hand.

The girl smiled back. "Yeah, see you later."

* * *

"My, that looks so good on you!" The tailor exclaimed, as she gazed at Jotaro's reflection in the mirror.

The morning of the next day had come, sooner than expected. The time to bid farewell to Anne and welcome back to Jotaro's coat had arrived.

"I've been working here for years, but I've never gotten such a strange request for clothes!" The woman yammered on, as the delinquent presented two bills of large value, held between his fingers.

"I'm in a hurry," Jotaro stated, "What's the total?"

"Ah, yes, I'll check that right away!" The woman scurried to the cash register in the back of the tailor shop.

"Hey, are you done changing yet?" Jotaro asked, as he walked over to the closed curtains sitting in front of him. A few moments of silence ensued. The delinquent counted to fifteen before brushing open the fabric. "Hey, I said are you-"

"Huh?" Suki looked up as she was slipping on a pair of loose khaki shorts with a leather belt looped through, the waist stopped at the backs of her knees. Her white tank top hung over, but didn't quite cover, her simple white panties. The girl's face lit up with a fierce blush as her mouth parted slightly. Jotaro merely raised his eyebrows and sighed.

"Good grief, could you be any slower?" The man asked as he shut the curtains behind him.

"Could _you_ at least _knock_?!" Suki chattered, throwing her gray newsboy cap at the fabric. The hat missed its intended target entirely, as it flew to the other side of the room.

"It's not my fault you didn't hear me talking to you."

The curtains flew open as Suki breezed over to her hat, placing it on her head and readjusting it with a pout."So what if I zoned out a bit? That doesn't mean you can just barge in on a girl who's changing!"

"We've got places to be, that's so what," Jotaro shot back, as the tailor made her way back over to him.

"That'll be-" The older woman started.

"Here, this should cover it. Keep the change," The thug pushed the two bills he had brought out earlier into her hand, and turned back to the girl, "Let's go."

Suki nodded and rushed over to catch up with Jotaro, thanking the tailor as she passed.

"See ya," The man spoke as he shut the door to the tailor's behind them.

"So, what, exactly is the rush?" Suki asked.

"Seeing the kid off."

"But, didn't we already say goodbye at the hotel, earlier this morning?" Suki twisted a lock of hair around her finger, as she reminisced about what had occurred that morning.

Anne had seemed fine walking down to the lobby, as Suki met up with the rest of the group; however, the child immediately grabbed the youth upon the reannouncement of the fact that she would be leaving that day. As the girl tried to comfort the ornery kid, Polnareff had to double his efforts in removing her from Suki's body. Anne refused to keep quiet, even as they exited the hotel, as Suki and Jotaro split off from the group for the tailor's while everyone else took the child to the airport. That had been…quite the morning, suffice to say.

"We did," The man said, nodding.

Suki gave the delinquent a quizzical look, but said nothing as they approached the airport at a brisk pace. As they were walking, a plane was taking off, slowly picking up speed as it drove by the two of them. As the aircraft approached, so too did the deafening roar of the engine, as a heavy breeze was kicked up by the movement of the large vehicle.

"Uhm, aren't we a little close to the plane?!" Suki had to shout to be heard above the sound of the plane, as Jotaro kept striding forward, his coat fluttering in the wind.

"Just keep walking," He spoke back, barely audible.

As the girl acquiesced to the request, she chanced a glance up at the plane to see Anne staring out the window of the plane excitedly. The child's mouth moved as though she were yelling something at the two of them, but, for the life of her, Suki couldn't decipher the message. As she continued to move forward, she raised a hand, a silent goodbye as she attached her other hand to the brim of her hat, pulling it down ever so slightly. Suki smiled upon seeing Anne wave back at her enthusiastically. Looking back, she saw Jotaro had stopped quite a ways ahead, turning back and gazing at the plane as it took off into the sky. Joining him in watching the aircraft slowly disappear from view, she turned back just in time to lock eyes with the man before he turned back to the building, and it all became clear.

 _He was giving her a more personal goodbye…_ Suki smiled, _That was…really sweet of him._

The two continued forward, meeting up with the group standing in front of the airport.

"Oh, so you got a change of clothes, too?" Polnareff addressed the girl, giving her a once-over.

"Uh, heheh, yeah," Suki scratched her cheek, "My clothes were kind of falling apart on me…"

"But, aren't you able to sew?" Kakyoin asked, recalling seeing the girl with a needle and thread in hand, repairing Jotaro's torn coat on the train.

"Ah, uh, well…" She stammered.

"She's grown out of them," Jotaro said.

Suki turned to the delinquent, throwing her fists to her sides.

"Jotaro, I told you that was supposed to be a secret!"

"You told me nothing of the sort."

About to voice another retort, Suki decided against it and simply sighed. "Regardless, I needed something that would fit, and the clothes you got me back in Singapore did just that. Although, the jeans and trenchcoat didn't exactly mesh with my combat style, so I traded them in for shorts," The girl scratched the back of her head, "Sorry I didn't tell you."

"It explains why you rushed back to the hotel to ask if you could buy those clothes off of me," Joseph mused, scratching his chin.

"I didn't know you could just trade clothes here," Polnareff chimed in.

"I didn't either, until I asked the nice tailor lady if she could whip up a pair of shorts for me, and she offered to give me a pair she had lying around for other clothes," The girl tugged on the waist of her shorts slightly, "Lucky she had a belt too, these shorts are a bit loose."

"Well, I'm glad you were able to find some functional clothes," Mr. Joestar said with a smile.

"I'm gonna pay you back for those clothes someday, though!" Suki argued.

"I told you, you don't have to worry about it," The man said with a chuckle.

"So, are we ready to go then?" Polnareff asked, clearly chomping at the bit to get going.

The rest of the group nodded, as they all climbed into the new car Joseph had ordered from the Speedwagon Foundation. Suki removed her hat and placed it in her bag, wanting to hold on to it for later. She then patted her satchel, where her previous outfit lay, a wistful smile on her lips.

 _Michel…I hope you can make me a new set of clothes when I come back…It's the least I could do for Big Bro._

* * *

Chapter Nine - Schindleria Praematurus

-END-

|To Be Continued|\|/

* * *

 **I decided to post a bit early today, since school has started back in, and I'm already busy, so I wouldn't be able to post at the usual time anyhow. :/ This chapter was kind of a weird one for me, more filler-y than the Wheel of Fortune chapter. Nonetheless, I think Jotaro and Suki's escapades at the aquarium turned out to be a fun enough time to read, if a little weird. Weirdness is par for the course, though, so I shouldn't worry about that! Hope you all are enjoying the story so far, and I'll see you all next week with Chapter 10!** **-BlueBow**


	11. Chapter 10 - Secular Haze

Chapter Ten – Secular Haze

 **WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by a row of slashes (like this /), unlike the time/scene change denoted by a horizontal line (-). You have been warned.**

* * *

The group reached Pakistan without much fanfare. The sheer cliffs along which they drove seemed to forbid the stalwart heroes from entering rather than invite them in. Not to mention…

 _It's_ way _too tight in here!_

Unfortunately, they didn't have much in the way of choice of vehicle back at the Indo-Pakistani border, even with the Speedwagon Foundation's help. As such, Suki found herself situated quite snugly between Joseph and Jotaro. A little too snugly, she would say, but she refrained from complaining. The girl couldn't even reach down to her satchel and take out her "study materials" without causing someone discomfort, and, even then, she did _not_ want someone looking over her shoulder at what she was reading.

 _It's better than riding in the trunk or on top of the car, like some crazed lunatic, at least,_ Suki thought.

"But Jotaro," Mr. Joestar piped up, "I'm surprised you were able to get someone to make you a Japanese school uniform here in Pakistan. The fit is perfect, too."

Jotaro closed his eyes in contentment as he informed the group, "It's 100% wool."

" _One-hundred_ percent?" Suki looked at the man, her eyes widening, "How have you _not_ succumbed to heat stroke?"

"This is nothing," He replied simply, turning away to watch the passing scenery.

 _Maybe he doesn't mind the heat, because he spent five consecutive hours in a sauna to prove his willpower to a guy,_ without _removing any clothes,_ Suki pondered, _o_ _r maybe he's unnaturally cold._

"Polnareff, is it safe to drive right now?" Kakyoin addressed the driver anxiously, "It appears the fog in this area is getting quite thick."

"Yeah," The Frenchman agreed, "It might be a bit dangerous. Since there's a sheer drop to one side, and no guard rail."

 _A bit, he says,_ Suki thought with a roll of her eyes, _Polnareff, you're a great guy, but why are we all just letting you drive_ again _?_

"Indeed. The fog gets thicker up ahead," Mr. Joestar removed a small pocket watch from his pocket and examined the hands' positions, "It's not even 3:00 yet, but I guess we have no choice. Let's find a place to stay in that town for the night," he suggested, looking down at a small settlement at the bottom of the cliff.

"I wonder if there's a nice hotel," Polnareff mused.

"A nice hotel?" Kakyoin probed.

"One that has a decent toilet, of course! I still can't get used to…"

Suki tilted her head back to see if she could spot any clouds, completely tuning Polnareff and Kakyoin out. Not having any luck, she turned her head to the left to see if there was anything interesting in that direction, only for her eyes to be covered with something violet.

"What the-!"

"Don't look."

"Huh…?"

A few seconds later, what turned out to be Star Platinum's hand was removed from her eyes, as she blinked. The girl looked to Jotaro with a curious expression.

"It was a dead dog."

"Oh…" Suki's expression fell, as she asked out of reluctant curiosity, "Was it bad…?"

The thug cast his gaze in a different direction before responding.

"…Yeah."

After a moment, she nodded and turned her head forward again.

"Thank you, Jotaro."

The man nodded as they continued driving on.

Even as their car pulled into town, they couldn't seem to escape the thick veil of mist that hung in the air. The muggy road did much to shield the pedestrians walking about from view, only their silhouettes poking out in the mixture of gray and white. A few seconds passed before Suki inhaled again, only to swallow and try to steady her breathing, her eyes widening.

"This is a nice little town," Joseph remarked, a hand on his chin, "I'd say it has a population of a few thousand."

The girl looked at the old man in shock, before turning back in her seat.

 _I…I can't be the_ only _one catching this scent, can I…?_

A few more blocks passed before Polnareff stopped the car. Kakyoin exited and pointed at a modest sign that hung on a building.

"Let's ask about a hotel at that restaurant there," He suggested.

The rest of the group left the car and walked towards the building. The previous hustle and bustle of the last two cities they had visited was nowhere to be found, as the citizens continued about their daily routines in a silent manner.

Suki held her chest lightly as she continued to steady her breathing, looking at the members of her group as she stood quietly.

 _The scent's gotten worse since we stopped moving…_ She thought, closing her eyes, _a_ _m I hallucinating? Is_ that _why no one else is affected? I…I shouldn't be…_

"Hey, kid."

The girl looked up at the delinquent, who was eyeing her with a quirked eyebrow.

"You're breathing through your mouth. Something wrong?"

"Uh, uhm…" Suki had not even noticed that she had tried to block out the aroma assaulting her senses in such a way. She looked away for a moment, before nodding, deciding it would be best to share her observations with him.

"It…smells like death here."

"Death?"

"Decaying, rotting, abandoned bodies…That's…what this town smells like…" Suki murmured.

Perhaps spending so much time with a monster like Dio, who thought of humans as toys for various purposes, enabled the girl to catch the scent of decay much more easily than the average person. Whatever the case, even as she tried to block her nose like usual, whenever that scent of cadavers reached it, she found she couldn't.

 _It's just like the time I found those sailors on Strength…Why can't I block it out…?_

Looking back up at the man, Suki gave a weak smile.

"It's fine. It's probably just me."

"Hmm."

"Listen up, everyone," Joseph gathered the group's attention, as they all turned to him, "In Pakistan, and further west in the Islamic world, this is how you greet people. First, you smile and say…" He then turned and walked up to the man standing at the entrance to the restaurant and raised his hand in a greeting, or so Suki assumed, despite the fact that he looked like he was going to chop something.

"Assalamu alaikum!"

…

The man flipped the sign next to him from "Open" to "Closed" with a loud slam, as his expression remained blank.

…

"E-Er… You didn't have to close up shop so suddenly…" Joseph raised his hands in a defensive gesture as he spoke, "We just wanted to ask a question. Is there a hotel nearby?"

Silence flew through the air, as the shopkeeper kept his same expression.

"Hello?" Mr. Joestar asked, miming a telephone.

"I don't know."

After offering that curt response, the strange man swiftly turned and began to walk away.

"Huh? Hey, wait a minute," Joseph called, reaching out and running after the shopkeeper, "What do you mean, you don't know?" A moment passed before the old man rubbed his eyes with his hands, not believing whatever he was seeing, "Wh-What's with that guy…?"

"I'm sure he couldn't understand you because your pronunciation's so bad," Polnareff remarked, pointing behind him, "Let's ask the guy sitting there."

The figure Polnareff had pointed out was cloaked, and seemed to be lost in thought or sleeping, his head bowed as he sat against the wall. The Frenchman addressed the figure jovially as he walked up beside him. Meanwhile, Jotaro turned back to the girl who was steadily growing pale.

"I don't want to dismiss your observation. Something's definitely off here…"

"Is it… a hunch…?" Suki asked, her stomach turning despite her best efforts to mute her senses.

"Seriously, kid, you don't look good. Sit down, or something."

"I said…I'm fine," The girl spoke, unconvinced herself, as she swallowed thickly.

"Hey, you! What's wrong?"

The two youths turned upon hearing Polnareff cry out, shocked at the appearance of the man he had called out to. The expression of the man was nothing short of horrifying, his eyes blown wide and his mouth agape as though someone had unhinged his jaw. This man had experienced a moment of true fear, frozen in time as he refused to blink or even twitch. The Frenchman shook the cloaked figure's shoulder, as he finally fell back, his expression remaining constant, as two lizards crawled out of his mouth.

"What?!"

Suki felt something rising up in her throat at a breakneck pace. She turned and collapsed, expelling what she had eaten that day as her body shook in heavy quakes. The girl heard the dull hum of voices approaching as she coughed, her arms and legs too weak to push her up to a standing position. She vaguely felt a hand press gently against her back, rubbing back and forth as she vomited again. Tears stung at her eyes and her face broke out into a sweat, as a burning sensation accompanied another coughing fit. The only sounds that presented themselves were her heart pounding in her ears and the clipped, mingling words of her comrades.

"…Doctor…help…do?...where…calm…need…someone…"

Suddenly, the girl felt herself being lifted from the ground by a hand on her arm, as a new voice chimed in.

"Please…know…one…"

 _I…know that…voice…_

Suki turned her head slightly, meeting sharp green eyes with soft browns, as the familiar eerie grin of the man greeted her.

"You're…Whit…" Suki smiled weakly.

"Please, let me…right over…no?"

After a moment, the girl felt herself being moved, as she limply followed Whit. He led her to a wall right across the way, still in view of her allies. The blond man sat her down against the wall, holding a bottle of water out to her.

"Drink this."

She accepted the beverage. The cool liquid hit her tongue, briefly removing her instinct to throw up, as she tipped her head back. Removing her lips from the bottle, she let her head fall forward slightly, a dizzy feeling still muddling her ability to perform any sort of coherent thought.

"Put this on."

With no wait, Whit strapped something onto Suki's face.

"Take deep breaths."

The girl did as she was told, and, slowly, clarity began to return, as the smell of death seemed to completely remove itself from the surroundings. Suki blinked a few times before realizing that the object Whit had strapped to her face had shrunk her peripheral vision somewhat.

"This is…a gas mask?"

The clean-cut man nodded.

"I understand this place smells of death. This should block the stench entirely."

Touching the mask that was now attached to her face, she looked at the man bent over in front of her.

"You mean…you smell it, too?" Suki shook her head, "Wait, more importantly, what are you doing here? I thought you-"

The man shushed her.

"Please, be patient. All will be revealed in due time, Miss Kanao. For now, I must return to my post. If you will excuse me."

"Wait, I-!"

The girl reached out to Whit, in vain, as he disappeared in the next instant. After a moment, she sat back, folding her arms. Suki certainly found it odd that Whit had found himself in the same location as herself, in addition to being on the same wavelength of thought, in thinking the town smelled of death.

 _There was something different about his appearance, too…_ She thought, _something's there now that wasn't there before._

Suki was broken out of her trance by the sound of Joseph's screams. She looked up with a start to see the old man hanging from a collection of powerlines with Hermit Purple, just over a spiked fence.

"Hey. Old man," Jotaro stared at his struggling grandfather, "What the hell are you doing? Are you stupid?"

As Joseph slowly maneuvered himself down from his dangling position, Suki carefully walked over to join the rest of the group, unwilling to let her stomach grow upset again.

"Oh, no!" Mr. Joestar exclaimed, "What do you mean, what am I doing?! The car was right here a minute ago!"

"What? Car? We just parked the car over there," Polnareff explained.

"What?! B-But just now…"

As they looked over to the vehicle, a small, old woman emerged from the fog, a dull knocking sound echoing from her staff making contact with the road as she walked. The elder finally arrived in front of the rest of the group and bowed, as everyone else bowed back.

The old woman was no larger than a ten-year-old child, her long, white hair in some way compensating for her tiny stature. Her snowy locks were adorned with golden rings and were held back out of her face by a brown and green striped headband. The woman did not seem to have good judgment concerning clothes sizes, as her brown robe dragged slightly along the ground, and her baggy sleeves threatened to cover her hands. One could make the mistake of this being a child in a costume, if not for her many wrinkles, and her numerous liver spots in disarray on her face.

Finally raising her head and speaking, the old woman spoke in a kind tone.

"You seem to be travelers. With this fog, it's dangerous to leave the town now. There are many cliffs, you know. I run a little bed and breakfast. If you'd like, why not stay there for the night? I'll make it cheap."

"We finally met a normal person!" Polnareff expressed, sighing in relief.

"There's a strong possibility that a Stand user is hiding somewhere in this town," Kakyoin stated, folding his arms, "This thick fog also gives them the upper hand. We cannot let our guard down at all tonight."

"But…even without anyone attacking us, this is a really creepy town," The Frenchman observed.

"Come now, Mr. Joestar," The old woman coaxed as she hobbled along, "That is my hotel. I shall lead the way. Please come with me."

A lavish, yellow manor-like building stood before them, columns and windows decorating the perimeter of the hotel. Suki attributed what she saw to remnants of dizziness from earlier, but she swore she saw fog emitting from the hotel's windows.

 _Now that I think on it…Am I still so dizzy that I think she said "Joestar"…?_ Suki shook her head, _I think the dizziness has still got me…_

As the group walked along the path, Jotaro turned back and seemed to finally take notice of the change in Suki's appearance, as he stared at her mask.

"What?" The girl's voice came out somewhat muffled by the breathing apparatus, as she tilted her head curiously.

"You look like a psycho," Jotaro muttered.

"Ah… I can see into your mind…So, you like adventure games…"

"Starting to sound like one, too," The thug narrowed his eyes.

"Heh, I'm just joking around," Suki admitted, scratching the back of her head, "I mean, it's kinda hard to stay upbeat with this oppressive fog…"

Jotaro nodded, as they shifted their attention upon hearing the woman speak again, arriving at the entrance.

"This hotel is small… but about twenty years ago, one of the 007 films was filmed here, and John Lennon from the Beatles even stayed here once."

"What? Really?!" Polnareff asked excitedly.

"No, not at all," The lady said with a smile.

"Wha?"

"But it is still quite a nice hotel. There are currently no other guests. Would meat for dinner be all right? Or would you prefer fish?"

"Hold it, old lady," Jotaro cut the old woman off, as he questioned, "You just said 'Joestar' didn't you? How'd you know that name?"

 _So I_ wasn't _hallucinating…_ Suki thought.

A small pause hung in the air before the old woman spoke again, pointing at Polnareff with her bandaged left arm.

"Come now, sir. That person there just said 'Mr. Joestar' a moment ago."

"What? Me?" The silver-haired man pointed at himself in question, "Well, I guess I might have."

The old woman seemed to pull an even bigger smile as she continued.

"You did, sir. When you've been in customer service for many years, you learn to memorize people's names quickly. So I'm sure of it."

"By the way, Ma'am, what happened to your left hand?" Polnareff asked, pointing at the old woman's bandaged arm.

"Oh, this? I just burned it a little…It might be because of my old age, but I accidentally spilled boiling water on it."

"Age? What are you talking about? You only look to be about forty. Maybe I'll ask you on a date."

"Please don't tease me so, sir."

The two laughed. Suki winced as the date scenario passed briefly through her mind.

 _Begone, thought._

The hotel was dark as the party walked inside, but it had an enticing feel, like a castle a villain in a storybook would own. The lanterns glowed red far above velvet-carpeted staircases and latticed glass windows. Despite its eerie allure, it was certainly much lonelier than the past hotels they had stayed at.

"Oh, this doesn't look too bad," Joseph commented as they made their way to the front desk.

"Here, Kakyoin," Polnareff said, as he handed the pen to the honor student.

"Right," he responded, writing his name down in the register. After a moment, he held the pen out to Jotaro.

"Here."

"Yeah."

Suki was vaguely aware of Polnareff and the hotel owner chattering away, examining her surroundings, until Jotaro waved her over. As the girl approached, he sidled out of the way, so as to block the book from the old woman's view. Upon closer examination of the register, with pen in hand, Suki saw that her friend had not written "Jotaro Kujo" in the musty pages. After a moment of thought, Suki decided she wanted to join the game as well, and wrote a down a name that didn't belong to her. Finishing her handiwork, she looked up at the thug with a goofy smile, not that he could see it with the gas mask in the way. He rolled his eyes and shut the booklet.

"It's done."

"Well, then…" The old lady started, as a set of approaching footsteps echoed off the hard floor. She gestured behind the group as she stated, "I will have him show you to your rooms."

The group turned, and all were surprised to see a familiar face that they had seen not even an hour ago.

It was Whit.

* * *

"I do appreciate you not using my name earlier. That would've made things…complicated," The man spoke, locking the door behind him as he walked the small tray he was holding over to the occupant of the hotel room. Suki tilted her head, as she sat cross-legged on the bed.

"Why'd you lock the door…?"

"I have been taught that guests appreciate privacy, among other things. Now then…" Whit set the tray down on the nightstand and pulled up a nearby chair, which was situated at the desk in the corner, and sat down, "Please, let us partake in what I have brought, and you may ask me what you wish. I will answer to the best of my ability."

Before turning her gaze completely to the tray, Suki gave Whit a once-over. She deduced that she had been correct in seeing something different on his form, as he now wore a tight, black collar, like one would see on a pet, with a small red jewel sitting in the center.

 _I_ knew _something was different about him…_

Suki then took a moment to examine the tray. On it sat a small package of playing cards, a tall glass filled with a thick, orange liquid, and a modest vase filled with small flowers. The drink was served with a straw, and ground pistachio nuts arranged on the top. The flowers were especially alluring, with their long, white, pristine petals. Suddenly, one of the petals of the flowers fell to the tray. Whit sighed, still retaining his smile.

"Already wilting, are we?"

With that question, he plucked one of the flowers from the vase and began pulling off the petals of the flower one by one, setting the discarded petals on the tray. Suki was about to speak out about killing the flower further, but decided against it upon seeing its roots had already been trimmed. After a moment, Whit gestured to the drink.

"Please, drink up."

"Uh…" Suki tapped her mask with a finger, as Whit chuckled.

"Ah, silly me. The smell is not nearly as bad in this building as it is out there. While we partake of this, I would suggest you set the mask aside."

With a nod, Suki undid the straps tying the mask to her face and removed it, wiping accumulated sweat off her brow. She took a cursory sniff of the area before smiling at the man in front of her.

"It's a bit dusty, but it's nothing like what's out there," Scooting closer to the nightstand, she took the glass in her hand, before she remembered, "Oh, right, thank you for that, by the way!"

"It's no problem at all, Miss Kanao."

"Whit, you don't have to be so formal with me. Just call me Suki," The girl said with a small smile.

"I would rather maintain this as a relationship that is strictly business, Miss Kanao."

"Oh, uh…okay," Suki agreed, scratching her cheek. She then turned her eyes to the drink in her hands, "So, what's this, then?"

"It's mango lassi."

"Mango lassi…"

 _A popular drink from the Indian Subcontinent, lassi is a blend of water, yogurt, spices, and sometimes fruits. The traditional type of lassi, called salted lassi or simply just lassi, is savory, and, more often than not, flavored with roasted or ground cumin. Made from yogurt, water, and the pulp of a mango, the national fruit of Pakistan, mango lassi is slowly gaining popularity worldwide._

"Hmm…" Suki hummed, as she gave the beverage a cursory sip. Her lips turned up as she released the straw, "This is really good!"

"I am glad you think so, Miss Kanao," The man said. For the briefest second, the girl was certain that his smile was unusually wistful.

"Okay, first question," Suki started, twirling the straw in her fingers, "How did you know where I was?"

"You are aware we serve the same man, no?" Whit spoke lowly.

"But I thought-"

"You are the false insurgent. I am the observer."

 _The observer…?_

"Uhm…" Suki shifted uncomfortably on the bed, lowering her own voice to a whisper, "How closely have you been watching me, exactly?"

"As closely as you've been examining those," Whit cleared his throat, "'study materials,' I would like to say."

The girl's face heated like a stovetop at this last statement, her eyes widening as her mouth fell agape.

"You…That's, uh, a little too close for comfort, wouldn't you say…?"

"Lord Dio wills that I watch you. You seem to be performing well as an ally to the enemy, but you can never be too sure. Working at this establishment is merely part and parcel of my duty," The man explained without skipping a beat, rubbing one of the petals he had removed between his fingers before placing it on the tray. After a moment, he replaced the petal-less flower and began to shuffle the discarded plant fragments around on the flat surface.

 _There's no glint…_ Suki raised an eyebrow, _He's still lying about his true alliance, right?_

"You are curious about what I said to you before, are you not?"

"Oh! Uh…"

Whit looked up at Suki under his long lashes, his back hunched over the nightstand.

"I would not rely on cheap parlor tricks to understand your enemy, Miss Kanao. Though you may wish to disbelieve this notion, some have trained involuntary reactions out of their system."

"What…do you mean?"

 _Does…Does he know about…?_

"Something as telling as, say, a glint in one's eye, is fatal for one who wishes to keep their true alliance under wraps. As such, some have convinced themselves that Dio _returns_ their absolute faith, and have lost that predatory reaction to hearing his name."

 _He_ does _know…_

"Truly, it is not the revelation of the century, Miss Kanao," The man tilted his head, as he absentmindedly moved the petals about on the tray, "Amateurish, are the ones who do not train such a flaw out of their systems immediately."

"R-Right…" Suki sipped at her drink, noticing she only had about a quarter of the glass left to drink.

 _I want to ask him more questions, but…_

"I would recommend you not waste my time, either, Miss Kanao. I am a busy man, after all."

 _Guess I've gotta make this count then…_

"Why…are you still working for him, if you…?"

Whit's finger stopped, as he looked up. Suki didn't recognize the man looking at her.

"Such a question is quite personal, do you not agree?"

The voice of the man still carried a lilt, much like an employee trying to please a customer to the best of his ability, but his once constant eerie grin and pleasant demeanor had disappeared completely.

"S-Sorry."

"I…apologize," Whit sighed, his smile returning, "I may have erred in saying I would answer _all_ questions to the best of my ability."

"No, it's fine! I... shouldn't have pried."

An uncomfortable silence followed. Casting about for a topic of conversation, the girl's eyes landed upon the flowers once again.

"Are these flowers native to Pakistan? They're really pretty."

"Not just native, these are their national flowers. They're jasmine," The man expressed, removing a flower from the vase and looking at it thoughtfully, "People seem to have the notion ingrained in their day-to-day lives that _roses_ are the be-all end-all of flowers associated with love and romance."

"You disagree?"

Whit nodded.

"I believe jasmine is better suited to portray a love that is more innocent, purer. Roses are a bit too… sensual, for my tastes."

"Every rose has its thorns…Is the same true of jasmine?"

The man raised his eyebrows, as he brought a hand to his chin.

"I do believe they _are_ thornless flowers. Perhaps, that is why…" Whit's eyes darted to his watch for but a moment, "Ah, I digress. I should be returning to my post," He stood and gestured to the tray, "I will return at a later point to retrieve whatever you leave on the tray. You are free to take the cards to another room, if you so wish. Now, if you will excuse me…"

Whit bowed courteously before walking to the door and unlocking it.

"Ah, before I forget," The man turned around, his usual grin turning up his lips "I must mention. Card games tend to reveal much about people. Different attributes depending on the game; however, one trait is always revealed no matter what game you play."

"What would that be?"

"Something that follows a person no matter where they may go, and determines their overall happiness in life. Luck."

With that, Whit opened the door and shut it behind him.

 _He seems to like jasmine,_ _so why would he pick one apart like that? And what was with those words at the end?_ Suki pondered, _Well, I might as well take him up on his offer._

As Suki looked over to the tray, she noticed that Whit had arranged the petals in such a way that they made a picture. She squinted at the odd arrangement.

Upon closer inspection, the petals had been used to write three letters above the picture. The three letters were "JPP", from left to right, and, underneath the letters were two objects that looked like trees.

 _Did he try to leave me a message?_ Suki placed a hand on her chin as she stared at the code Whit had left, _maybe…Maybe it'll lead me to the Stand user we've been worrying about…_

 _Okay, so first, I want to know what those letters mean…I don't think I know any acronyms that have those specific letters. Maybe…it's a name? One J and two P's… Wait, Polnareff's full name is Jean Pierre Polnareff, right? That would fit the letters perfectly!_ _But, what about…_

Suki looked at the tree-like objects that sat underneath Polnareff's initials.

 _I want to say they look like trees, but, looking at them again, they look more like hands that are reaching out. These hands look exactly the same. Is he saying…someone with two of the same hands will come after Polnareff…!_

The girl rose from the bed and began to pace.

 _But that doesn't make sense. Polnareff killed J. Geil, I'm sure of it. No one else has two right…!_

She suddenly recalled the words that Yellow Temperance had spoken to her and Jotaro.

" _B-But there is some witch who told Dio about Stands…And her son is among the four. His name is J. Geil. He's a man with two right hands."_

 _A witch with two right hands…A_ witch _with…!_

" _By the way, Ma'am, what happened to your left hand?" "Oh, this? I just burned it a little…It might be because of my old age, but I accidentally spilled boiling water on it."_

 _The old woman's left hand was bandaged…Could it be that…_

 _This…This would explain why she knew Mr. Joestar. It all adds up…!_

Suki turned back to the small deck of cards sitting on the tray and picked it up, examining it.

 _What does Whit want me to figure out by playing cards with Polnareff…? Whether he should fight this Stand user or not?_

Suki looked at the door with a contemplative expression before shaking her head. After placing the discarded petals in the vase, she walked out the door with the cards in hand.

 _I guess the best way to find out is by starting the game._

* * *

"So, how do you play this game?" Polnareff asked, sitting cross-legged on his bed, directly in front of his pillow. The girl raised her eyebrows.

"You mean you've never played 'war'?" The man shook his head, as Suki continued based on his reaction, "It's really simple, I played it all the time as a kid," With that, she shuffled the cards and began to deal them between the Frenchman and herself, until all fifty-two cards were gone from her hands.

"Okay, so, keep the cards face down," She spoke, picking up her own half of the deck, "We'll do a practice round first," The man nodded as he took his half of the cards, "Now, place the card at the top of your deck face up in front of you."

Polnareff followed the instructions as Suki placed the first card in her deck face up. On the man's side was a queen of spades, on the girl's, a five of hearts.

"You have the higher card, so you can take both cards and put them beside you."

"Suits don't matter?"

"Nope," After Polnareff had placed the cards beside himself, Suki gave another instruction, "Now, we do the same thing again."

"Alright…" He took the next card and placed it down, as Suki did the same, "But what if we-"

"Get the same number?"

As she said that, the two looked down and saw that they had both drawn a seven, Polnareff wielding the seven of hearts as Suki held the seven of clubs. A smirk crossed the girl's face.

"Then we go to war. Each of us places one card face down, and then the next, face up. Whoever has the highest third card wins all six of the ones that were laid down. So…" She demonstrated her instruction, as the man followed suit. Suki ended with a jack of diamonds, versus Polnareff's ten of clubs. She smiled.

"Looks like that's my win there," As the girl picked up the cards and placed them beside her, she continued her explanation, "When you run out of cards in your hand, you use your winnings. Whoever runs completely out of cards, loses. Those are the rules."

"Huh. You were right, that is really simple," Polnareff admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

 _I hope Whit wasn't expecting me to play something more complex, like poker or blackjack…_ The girl thought, _I have no clue how to play those casino games._

"By the way, aces have the same value as a one, save when you play one against a king. Kings can only be beaten by aces," The man nodded, "Now, do you want to start from scratch, or start from where we left off?"

"It'd be easier to just start from here."

"Alrighty, then," Suki spoke as she laid down her next card, as her friend did the same.

"So, what gave you the urge to play cards with me?" Polnareff asked, placing down an ace versus Suki's eight.

"It's just been a while since we've talked, is all. I thought it'd be nice to just spend time like this," Polnareff: 6, Suki: King.

"Did you want to talk about anything specific?" Polnareff: 3, Suki: 4.

"Well…You remember what we told you Yellow Temperance said about the other Stand users?" Polnareff: Jack, Suki: 8.

"What about it?" Polnareff: Queen, Suki: 9.

"He mentioned a witch, whose son is… _was_ J. Geil. The man with two right hands," Polnareff: Queen, Suki: 5.

The man's expression shifted from placid to somewhat morose, as he continued to play his cards. He played a seven, while the girl played a ten.

"She…probably knows you killed her son. I don't doubt that she'll come after you. How soon we'll see her, though…Well, that's a different question," Polnareff: 2, Suki: 7.

Silence pervaded the room for a solid minute, as Polnareff allowed the hand that was holding his cards to drop into his lap. His grip on the deck tightened as he stared at it.

"She's not gonna catch me off guard. Not like he did. I'll be ready this time."

"Polnareff…"

"I won't go rushing in like a dumbass again. Not after…" The man shook his head and placed the rest of his cards down in front of him, joining that stack with his earned cards, "Sorry, I…don't really feel like playing anymore."

Suki's expression remained stoic, as she took the cards back and joined his deck and hers and placed them back in the small package. She then stuffed the package in her pocket and clasped her hands in her lap.

"Do you…want to talk about that?"

"What more is there to talk about?" He asked, as he shifted on the bed, leaning his back against the wall as he stretched his legs out, "I acted like an idiot and got Abdul killed. It's…cut and dry."

"But, I-"

"No, don't try and take the blame for this," Polnareff denied, shaking his head, "No matter what, if I hadn't stormed off like that, Abdul would still be alive and well, traveling along with us like nothing had changed. But I…I had to go and fuck all of that up!" He brought his hand back and slammed his fist into the wall behind him, causing it to tremble at the impact.

"I should've listened to him…I should've listened to the both of you…" The man let out a soft, sad laugh as he spoke, "Dammit…I was nothing but an asshole to him. He may have protected me, but no matter how nice of a guy he was, he probably hates me, wherever he's watching us from."

Suki took a moment to remember the words she had shared with the fortune teller before that moment. They had spoken about the Frenchman briefly, but she recalled every kind word he spoke about him. Those words may have been accompanied by quite a bit of concern, but Abdul's positive emotions towards Polnareff rang through loud and clear.

" _I admire how much faith he puts in his values…"_

" _I do find value in the compassion he presents to you all, as well."_

" _I become increasingly worried that those same values will get him killed."_

The girl shuffled over to the man on her knees and took his hand, weaving her fingers through his.

"What are you-"

"You're wrong."

"I'm…?"

"He…He didn't hate you…He never hated you," Suki leaned against the wall next to Polnareff, keeping her hand attached to his, as she ran her thumb over the creases in his palm. She looked up at the man with fresh tears springing forth, "We talked for a bit, back on the boat, and Abdul told me that he _admired_ you. He sincerely cared about you. He didn't think any less of you compared to anyone else in the group."

The man seemed stunned silent for a moment, before he laughed sadly again.

"That's probably different now. I called him a coward, and I got him killed."

"If he hated you so much, why would he have come to help you?"

"He...He was just too nice of a guy, that's it."

"I was there, too, Polnareff, and I don't know how what you saw was so different from what I did," Suki took a deep breath, trying to fight back her tears as she expressed, "You may have seen yourself getting saved by a man who was too nice for his own good... but I saw a man saving his friend. Do you think he would've gone to those lengths to protect you, if he _didn't_ care about you, in _some_ way?"

A small silence ensued, as Polnareff looked up at the ceiling of the room, narrowing his glistening eyes.

"He admired _me_ , huh?" He scratched the back of his neck as he asked his next question, "What…What all did he say about me, anyway?"

"He said that he found you compassionate, and that your strong faith in your values was admirable. He…also said he was worried... that that faith could end up getting you killed…" Suki was certain she felt the man's heart rate pick up slightly at her words, as her fingers lingered on his wrist.

"Well, he wasn't wrong. If he hadn't come to my rescue... You'd all be mourning for me, instead," Polnareff turned away as he lowered his voice, "Not that there'd be much worth mourning about."

Suki's mouth parted slightly. Polnareff's statement felt like a knife had been shoved into her chest, and was being twisted over and over. The impact of Abdul's words to her finally hit with the impact of a baseball bat cracking against her skull.

" _I'm beginning to understand…How much you undervalue your abilities."_

"Abdul…" She murmured hoarsely, as tears streamed down her face, with no way to dam her eyes. After unwittingly letting out a choked sob, Polnareff turned back quickly to see the girl holding his hand crying her eyes out.

"Hey, come on, it's alright. Why are you crying?" The man pulled her into a gentle embrace, as she sobbed against his chest, covering her face with her hands.

"I…I finally understand what he meant," She sniffled as she desperately tried to wipe her eyes, to no avail, "He kept telling me that I was undervaluing myself. That I _did_ have strength, that I _did_ have traits to be valued for. I didn't believe that myself, but he kept telling me anyway. Now…Now I know why…"

 _Did…Did it hurt this much hearing me talk about_ myself _like that, Abdul…?_ Suki wondered, _Did it hurt the others, too?_

"You're saying you're not worth mourning, but that isn't true. It…It _hurts_ me to hear you say that. And I know that…it would hurt him, too. He _never_ hated you. He thought you were a good person. He _cared_ about you. I…I think the same, so please… _please_ don't undervalue yourself. Please…"

Polnareff's expression softened as he listened to the warbling girl in his arms. After a moment of poring over her words, he gave her a tender squeeze as he spoke his next words.

"I won't. I promise."

"No…Don't…Don't promise me, Polnareff."

"Why not?" He turned his gaze down to look the girl in the eyes.

"I…I don't trust people who tell me 'I promise,'" She looked away for a moment, aware of the expectant look the Frenchman was giving her, "My brother would always tell me he would stay by my side, or that he would protect me forever, and then he would say 'I promise.' But, then…"

"Then he left…"

Suki nodded solemnly.

"Then I won't say that."

"...Thank you..."

The two remained huddled together for a few more quiet moments, as Suki slowly calmed down.

"Polnareff, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

The girl looked up at the man holding her, locking her brown eyes with his blues.

"What were you going to tell me back on the boat?"

Polnareff scratched the back of his neck as he organized his thoughts.

"It's…a little weird. Don't freak out, all right?"

She gave him a determined nod. The Frenchman gave the girl one last look before finalizing what he was going to say.

 _Right. I can't see her any other way._

"Spending time with you, getting to know you better, I've…been able to feel things. Things I haven't felt for a long, long time," Polnareff took a moment to brush a stray lock of hair out of the girl's face, his hand settling on her cheek as she smiled at the touch, closing her eyes in comfort.

"You're…like a little sister."

Suki opened her eyes and gazed up at the man.

"Little…sister…"

"Ah, see, I told you it was weird," Polnareff said, turning his head and blushing.

"You're…like a big brother, too," The girl spoke with a gentle smile, "Though, that isn't any less weird, is it?"

The man's smile was uncharacteristically soft, as he rubbed Suki's shoulder.

"I guess we're both just weirdos, then."

"Heheh, yeah."

 _We may not have finished our card game,_ Suki thought, _but, regardless, I_ have _figured out something. I'm not letting Polnareff anywhere near that old woman. Whether he can fight with luck on his side or without it, I…want to protect him._

"Gonna be alright now?" Polnareff asked.

"Yeah. Thank you," Suki moved over slightly, allowing the man to shuffle off of the bed.

"You don't mind waiting here, do you? I'm going to see if I can't find the bathroom."

"Uh, wait!" Suki stood up, following the man as he walked to the door.

"What's the matter?"

 _I've gotta come up with_ something _fast…_ She inwardly panicked.

"I actually checked the bathroom here earlier, and it's uh…" She shook her head and grimaced, "It's something no one needs to see…"

"Aw, man," Polnareff winced, "And that woman was making this out to be such a nice hotel, too."

"Yeah, it's a real shame."

"Well, if it disgusts a lady like you, then there's no way it can match up to the tastes of a sophisticated gentleman like myself," He sighed, "Guess I'll have to find a bathroom in town that I can use…"

 _Oh my God, it worked,_ Suki thought, _the further he is from that suspicious old lady, the better._

As the two walked out of the room towards the staircase, a loud crashing sound was heard from the room branching off of the lobby.

"What was that noise?" Polnareff asked, as he looked over the railing, "That room at the back of the lobby is really loud…"

 _Uh-oh…_ Suki thought, casting about desperately for an explanation that would still get Polnareff out of the building. They continued down the stairs, stopping upon hearing Joseph call out to them.

"Is something wrong, you two?"

"I thought I heard a strange noise," Kakyoin added. Suki noticed that all three of the other men in her group had exited their room out of curiosity.

"I'm going to take a look downstairs," Polnareff spoke, as he turned to continue his descent.

"Ah, wait," Suki stopped him, as everyone's attention turned to her, "That attendant mentioned something about loud noises to me…What was it…?" As she spoke, she snapped twice in quick succession, followed by a third after a small pause. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jotaro pull his hat down slightly, readjusting it as he tapped on the brim once. Catching her fist in her hand, Suki realized, "Ah, _right_. He said that the old woman was really clumsy in the kitchen, but he would be there to help her. Those crashes must've been her banging pots and pans around, like he warned me about."

"Hmm, that does make sense," Kakyoin mused, twirling his stray strand of hair.

"Hopefully she won't burn herself again," Polnareff spoke thoughtfully. After a moment, he continued on his way down the stairs and walked out the door, as Joseph, Jotaro, and Kakyoin made their way back to their rooms. Suki lingered on the landing as she collected her thoughts.

 _If that old lady really_ is _the enemy Stand user we're looking for…Then I can't let down my guard,_ Suki smiled in relief, _Thankfully, I know I won't be alone for long._

With that, she leapt forward, landing directly in front of the last stair, as she sprinted in the direction in which she had heard the crashing sound.

"Ma'am? Are you-!"

The scene Suki had stumbled across was truly unexpected. In this modest lounge sat the old woman who ran the hotel, staring back at the girl with a shocked expression, but, even more bizarre, was the man laying in front of her, who looked to be dead. There was no conceivable way that Suki could've misrecognized the man in the cowboy getup. The same man who had brutally ripped a friend's life from her hands.

That man was Hol Horse.

"What…What the hell…?!"

Suki rushed forward, flinching as she saw what had occurred to the man.

 _I need to remember how to desensitize myself, this is really crippling,_ Suki thought, as she removed the gas mask from her satchel and strapped it to her face again, situating herself on the opposite side of the body, across from the old woman. Subtly glancing at the clock, she noted that the current time was 5:24.

"What happened?" The girl asked, keeping watch on the old woman as she pressed her fingers against Hol Horse's neck.

 _Still kicking, huh,_ Suki thought. She marveled at how much the inability to smell blood distanced her from what she was looking at, as she examined the man's injuries. _There's gotta be some reason why you came_ here _specifically. I thought you were_ running _from us?_

"This man, he…he tried to attack me," The old woman trembled as she spoke, "He tried…to shoot me."

 _Tried to_ shoot _you…But his gun_ is _his Stand, right?_ the girl calculated, _Something isn't right here, and I think I know what…_

Upon closer examination, Hol Horse's body didn't appear to have any external fatal injuries. His face was coated mainly in saliva, mixed with flecks of blood, so Suki was inclined to believe that someone had attempted to choke him to death; however, her eyes then flickered to an unusual phenomenon sitting in his right forearm.

"He tried to shoot you, huh? I wonder why he would want _you_ dead…"

A gaping hole, the size of a golf ball, was found in Hol Horse's arm. The wound appeared to go straight through his limb, and, despite the freshness of the wound, the only traces of blood coming from the wound had dried along his elbow.

 _How strange…_

"I-I don't know why he wanted me dead, he just kept trying to attack me. I'm lucky I got out alive…" The old woman whined, as tears streamed down her face. Suki paused in her examination before turning to the old woman.

"Ma'am, there's still quite a few questions that you haven't answered."

"O-Oh, really? What would those be?"

"Well, my main concern is how in the world you managed to fight off this man," Suki raised a finger to punctuate her point, her unempathetic expression remaining shrouded by the mask, "You said he attacked you, for what reason, I have yet to conclude; however, I know this man, and I know his abilities," She put a hand to her chin as she continued to think aloud, "Whether or not you can see Stands is not indicative of evil. I've met good Stand users on this journey who meant no harm, after all," The girl folded her arms, "But, you have so far made it clear that you are a feeble, clumsy old woman; and yet, you were somehow able to fend off, or, at the very least, outlast, a man with unparalleled marksman abilities. So unparalleled that he can control the trajectory of his bullet _midflight,"_ As Suki established her findings, a new clue reared its head based on the information she had gathered. She wasted no time in making this clear.

"It seems to me that he lowered his guard when he walked in those doors. What else could explain how someone got close enough to try and choke him to death, without him pulling out his gun once? It would also explain how someone like you managed to hold your own in a fight against him, but that begs another question…Why would this man lower his guard in your presence?"

The old woman remained silent, her expression indiscernible.

"I'm perfectly fine with being wrong; however, I won't know how wrong I am until I see incontrovertible evidence of your innocence."

The girl leaned forward as she made her request heard.

"So, I ask you, ma'am: remove your bandages from your left hand and _show_ me that you are not the mother of J. Geil!"

Suddenly, a weak voice that Suki recognized coughed and addressed her.

"M-Miss Kanao…You…You need to run…"

Suki looked down at Hol Horse, whose eyes were now cracked open and goading her into following his instructions.

 _Yeah, if she was able to do a number on Hol Horse, there's no way I could stand a chance,_ Suki thought, _it should almost have been five minutes, so…_

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she noticed the time.

 _5:27?!_ She panicked, _I was_ sure _it had been five minutes! What is-!_

As the thought occurred to her, a pair of sewing scissors thrusting straight toward her appeared in the corner of her vision, as she scrambled back, the sharp implement barely missing its mark. The witch leapt over Hol Horse and continued her assault, attempting to stab a hole in Suki's flesh. The girl frantically rolled onto her side, away from her attacker, and clambered to her feet. Her eyes darted to the doors leading out of the lounge.

 _When did those close…?_

"You will pay for betraying Lord Dio like this!" The old woman snarled, as she rushed forward, a ghastly rage gracing her features. Suki continued to dash backwards, keeping her eyes glued to the small elder as she gathered the water from Hol Horse's face.

 _Gotta improvise…She isn't even giving me a spare moment to open my canteen!_

Suki was startled as her back hit the wall. She was cornered, as the old woman sprinted forward. All at once, the water Suki had gathered rushed into her hand, as she brought the survival knife that had formed up to block the scissors, the two weapons connecting and rebounding. The woman's arm was thrown back, as Suki recovered from the recoil quicker to strafe to the side, running to the exit. Somehow the large rug in the room had become bunched, as an imperceptibly peaked part caught Suki's boot and threw her forward onto the ground. The old woman took advantage of her weakened state, dashing forward to stab her. Suki called Knight of Cups and sent her flying into one of the small puddles of water on the ground that had been created when she had blocked her attacker's stab.

 _Maybe I've matured a bit, if not all of the weapon turns into vapor when I'm done with it…_

Knight emerged from the droplets quickly and lunged for the woman's baggy robe, grabbing it with both hands and tripping her over her clothes. Suki leapt to her feet and rushed for the doors.

"I-I've gotta get to everyone!"

"It's too late," The old lady muttered, as Suki threw open the double doors, "I've already made sure that you can't contact the other four. Because…" As she spoke, a mass of glowing red eyes emerged from the mist sitting in front of her, "I've summoned them."

Among the faces of the old woman's army, Suki saw she recognized the faces of the restaurant owner and the dead man from earlier.

"This is my Stand, Justice's ability! No one can have more than one Stand, but Justice is a fog Stand that can control corpses! It can control hundreds, even thousands!"

"Control corpses…So, that means…" Suki remembered the repulsive scent of death that immediately assaulted her upon entering the town, and the fact that no person acted normally, save for Whit and the old woman, "This…This is no _town_ …This is a _graveyard_!"

"They're all trying to kill you," Hol Horse warned weakly, "A-And if you get wounded, this will happen…"

"I just need to give you a little scratch. Just a little one. Then my Stand, Justice, will kill you!" At this, the four men nearest Suki lunged at her, as their tongues wiggled and wavered like snakes, "Get her!"

Spotting a door on the other side of the room, Suki dashed to the right, the hand of the rightmost man barely grazing her ankle as she made her escape. She wove her way around the two chairs and table in the corner of the room, kicking the furniture down to create obstacles for her pursuers, as they were tripped up by the things she had knocked over.

"Wait, Miss Kanao! Don't leave me here!"

Suki did not even look in Hol Horse's direction before turning and continuing out the door, blocking it behind her with a chair. The door banged back at her, making it clear how desperately the old woman and her zombie army wanted to get in.

 _Okay, calm down…_ Suki thought, as she backed away from the door. Examining her surroundings, she became aware that she had escaped into a hallway leading down to the basement. Looking to her left, she saw iron bars covering a window.

 _Maybe they'll be loose…_ The girl wondered, as she jumped up and grasped the bars. Unfortunately, no matter how much she yanked, they would not loosen.

 _That's a no-go,_ she concluded, turning to try the locked doors in the hall behind her, _And I don't know how much use I would get out of trying to whale on the bars with a larger weapon. I've only got so much water available to me, I don't want to waste it on something that might not work._

Much to her dismay, each of the doors was locked from the other side. The blocked door banged at her again, as the girl's eyes widened.

 _It won't be much longer before that door gives way…Maybe if I…?_

Suki opened her canteen and spilled some water onto the floor, allowing it to creep under the locked door in front of her. Sending Knight of Cups into the small puddle without a word, the Stand fumbled on the other side of the door for a moment, before Suki heard a small click, as the door creaked open.

"Thank you, Knight!" Suki whispered, as she scampered into the room, closing and locking it behind her. She regathered the water she had spilled into a small knife as she heard the door slam open, a cluster of footsteps meandering past the door.

 _It_ has _to have been five minutes_ now _…Jotaro should be coming down to the lounge any minute now…_

Much like the experimentation-distraction plan that the two had brainstormed, Suki had come up with the idea of having a few small signals, thinking they would be useful for gaining the upper hand on the enemy. The girl created a snapping pattern, a signal that she would investigate a place they were speaking about, and to join her if she did not return within five minutes. Jotaro had received the message loud and clear, as he had tapped the brim of his hat covertly.

She was anxious, but she knew help would come soon.

Realizing that her breathing was not silent with the gas mask on, Suki reluctantly held her breath and removed the mask, as she began to breathe quietly through her mouth.

 _All of these dead bodies walking around... Messing with the dead, all because_ she _wills it…_ The girl grimaced, _it makes me sick._

Examining her surroundings, Suki noticed that the room she had clambered into was a small, walk-in closet, barely large enough to fit two people inside. The room was dusty and aged, a musty smell hanging in the air.

"You mean you couldn't find her in the bathroom?" She heard the old lady complain, "Then where _is_ she?! She couldn't have just disappeared! All the doors are locked!"

 _Just a little longer…_ Suki thought calmly, _A little longer, and I'll-!_

Her thoughts were cut short as she felt a searing pain stab into her left forearm. She shouted in surprise and hurt, quickly bringing up her right hand to muffle herself, but too late.

"Found you."

As the girl was preoccupied with her injury, an arm reached around her and unlocked the door. Seeing this out of the corner of her vision, Suki looked behind her to see the last person she expected.

"Wh-Whit?!"

Suddenly, the girl was yanked forward by her arm, her limb pinning her to the wall she had crashed into. She desperately tried to fight the force shoving her against the wall, but to no avail. The pain of her injury only seemed to worsen with each successive yank, but she refused to give in as the zombies watched her struggle in amusement.

"Very good, Whit," The old woman praised. The man walked steadily out of the closet, never losing his eerie grin as he bowed slightly.

"Of course, Ms. Enyaba. I live to serve."

"Now then, what to do with a little backstabber like you...?" The old woman, Enyaba, murmured, tapping her chin with her scissors.

 _Great, of_ course, _Dio would be selective with who he told about my plan,_ Suki gritted her teeth, _o_ _r…maybe he knows my true intentions? It's…a very real possibility…_

"An eye for an eye, a backstab for a backstab? Or, perhaps I could just cut you up into little pieces and leave you in a box for all your little 'friends' to find… Or maybe... Lord Dio could have his way with you in front of all of your little friends. That would be a joyous way to get back at all of them for what they've put him through, as well as what they put my son through…" Enyaba's eyes glazed over as her smile grew manic, as she cackled to herself, "To see their faces twisted in despair, upon seeing his complete conquest over your mind and body…! Ah, what a beautiful scene!"

Suki pored over the words that had been spoken to her, and how familiar they sounded to the threat Soul Sacrifice's Devil had made. Knowing what she knew now, the girl understood what the witch was implying, but she refused to let what she had been taught be twisted into such a horrifying shape.

"What…What would that accomplish?"

"Come again?" Enyaba asked, leaning forward with a sneer.

"Why would he have sex with me? What would he gain from that? I don't love him, and he certainly doesn't love me, I'm sure of it. What's the point?"

Enyaba's face became unempathetic as she slammed her scissors into Suki's left foot, causing her to screech in pain, as Whit muffled her cry with a hand.

"How someone like you gained so much freedom of movement from Lord Dio…How someone like you managed to live this long, is beyond even me…" She muttered, as she yanked her scissors back, causing Suki to whimper.

Suddenly, the sound of the lounge doors slamming open reached the ears of everyone in the hallway. Suki's eyes widened, as she was certain it could have been no one else.

 _Jotaro..._

Enyaba gestured to Whit to keep everyone in the hall quiet, as she shuffled to the door leading into the lounge and shut it swiftly behind her. The zombies surrounding Suki gave her hungry glares, as they slowly advanced towards her.

 _No…No, dammit!_ Suki struggled to find a way out amongst the crowd of walking corpses, her arm now free, as Enyaba's attention was directed elsewhere. She felt a hand wrap around her waist, as the dull side of a knife was pressed to her throat. _I need to get out there and help him…I don't know if he's figured out that she's the enemy Stand user…Shit, I can't die here, not now!_

"Do not worry, I won't let them touch you."

That familiar lilt reached her ears, as Suki turned to see Whit's eerie grin.

"Wha…?"

At that moment, the scenery of the hallway disappeared from Suki's view, as a new room appeared before her. The ominously glowing lights hanging over the stairs were all too familiar to the girl.

 _This is…the lobby…_

"I'm looking for the girl," Suki immediately recognized Jotaro's voice from the room beside her, "And I did knock. Maybe you didn't hear me because you were too busy doing something else, old lady."

A pause ensued. Jotaro repeated himself, with a slight increase in his assertive tone.

"I'm looking for my friend. Have you seen her?"

 _Wait, he_ is _talking about me…_ Suki felt her lips turn up as she felt a small degree of warmth, having never heard him refer to her in such a way, _b_ _ut, enough of that…Why is Whit still…?_

"You may be wondering why I am still keeping such a firm grip on you, Miss Kanao, despite our clear safe condition, at the moment," Whit murmured, as he lowered the knife and placed it back in his pocket, "Well, I must start by saying that I completely understand your plight. You wish to help the man dear to you, but you are currently…tied up, shall we say, and not just by myself."

 _Understand…?_ Suki wondered, _I'd believe him if he didn't sound so distanced…_

"Yes, of course," Enyaba spoke, "I know exactly where Miss Suki is, Mr. Jotaro."

"Oh?"

Suki heard a small shuffling sound behind her, as she looked back to see Whit moving a hanging picture frame aside to reveal a small hole in the wall, allowing the man to see into the lounge. He met her curious gaze with a self-assured grin, his eyes flashing.

"I believe you fail to recognize that you are still in no condition to attack Enyaba, no matter how much you may want to. After all, you still carry open wounds."

Suki reexamined the hole in her left forearm, and the still bleeding hole in her left foot.

 _Shit, he's right…_

Whit let out a quiet sigh.

"Miss Kanao, please. I cannot do all the thinking for you. Now then," Whit peered through the small peephole in the wall, "I, for one, am interested to see how this will play out. I wonder if Jotaro will catch on to the slip-up Enyaba made, much like you did…?"

 _Right…_ Suki recalled, _He_ did _tell us not to use his name, or mine, and even the register doesn't contain our real names…So, the only way she could know our names is…!_

 _Still, though,_ she pondered further, as she attempted to look through the hole, giving up after being unable to nudge Whit out of the way of hogging it, _I wish I could tell_ when _Jotaro's feigning ignorance…I may be able to read him some of the time, but that doesn't compare to what a real mystery his thought process is…_

"She was just here. She's in the bathroom now, Mr. Jotaro."

...

"Oh, she's in the bathroom? Is it inside this door here?"

Suki heard footsteps move towards the door to the hallway. Her panic rose in fragments.

 _Mama had me read a few Sherlock Holmes stories when I was younger,_ Suki bit her lip as she recalled the narratives, _and even someone as forward-thinking as the great detective_ _was outwitted by Irene Adler in 'A Scandal in Bohemia.' Dammit, I can't tell if he's genuinely been outwitted!_

"An intriguing development, indeed…" Whit mused quietly.

"Yes, that's right. Just go through that door, and it's the last door at the end of the hall," The old lady instructed.

...

"Oh, that's right. I forgot to ask, old lady," The footsteps stopped, as a squelching sound hit Suki's ears. She swore she felt her heart stop in her chest, before she sighed upon hearing the man's voice again, "Oh? What's wrong, old lady? You just fell down. Did you trip on something?"

"Th- That was too close…"

"Oh, yeah, that's really dangerous. Falling while holding scissors…Thank goodness something terrible didn't happen. Thank goodness," The thug spoke again after a small pause, "Sorry to ask before you even get up, but I have more questions for you. Why did you just call me, 'Jotaro'? And why did you call the girl, 'Suki'? We never told you our names, and no one's said our names in front of you. That's what I want to know."

 _Okay, so now I_ know _he's on the right track, but…_ Suki's eyebrows raised at the mention of her name, _I…don't think I've ever heard him say my name before. It…sounds nice, coming from him._

"Well, answer me. Maybe it's because I liked _Columbo_ as a kid, but when something bothers me, I can't even sleep at night," Jotaro continued.

Suki's eyes softened at his statement, her mouth curling up in a shy smile as her face heated up slightly.

 _That's... kinda cute…_

"Wh-Why do you suspect me?" The old woman coughed, "The hotel register! You wrote your names on the hotel register earlier!" She coughed twice more, as she complained, "It's so dry in here. You wrote 'Jotaro Kujo,' and she, 'Suki Kanao.'"

"I must say, he is _quite_ the clever individual," Whit praised, "I managed to peek at that register after showing you all to your rooms. Quite the sidewinder, I must say, not to mention very innovative."

Suki nodded.

 _I had just been joking around earlier, but after getting Whit's code..._ She huffed out a small, quiet laugh, _right. I shouldn't have been so worried. Of_ course, _Jotaro would've been on the right track, right from the get-go._

"Oh? You mean this thing?" The telltale shuffle of paper was heard from the lounge.

"Yes, that exact thing!" The old woman paused. She read the two bottom-most names in the booklet aloud in a shocked tone.

 _"'Qtaro_ Kujo'? _'Daisuki_ Kanao'?!"

 _Much like people who speak English have multiple ways of saying one statement, people who speak Japanese find there is more than one way to say "I love you." Combining the not-so-much-a-word "dai," meaning "big" or "very," and the word "suki," meaning "to like," one arrives at "daisuki," which can be used to say "I love you," in addition to "I am very fond of…" The alias "Qtaro," as opposed to being a reference to a word, is a reference to a children's manga, "Obake no Q-taro," or "Q-taro, the Ghost," written by Fujiko Fujio, about a ghost who enjoys flying around, scaring people and stealing food, but is deathly scared of dogs._

"'Jotaro' isn't written anywhere. Neither is 'Suki.'"

 _There's my name again…_ Suki shook her head, _I'm…getting too wrapped up in that._

"I suspected you from the moment you called me 'Joestar' when we first met," Suki heard the sound of paper fluttering in the air, and a small thump on the floor, "I told the others not to use my name, or hers. And yet, you knew our names…Which means…"

The old witch stuttered, clearly unable to find words.

"It's no use playing stupid," Jotaro asserted, "I already know you're one of the Stand users that's after us, old hag. Well, what's wrong? Aren't you going to show me your Stand?"

Suki grinned.

 _He's got her!_

"I've already shown it to you!" Enyaba screeched, as the door to the hallway slammed open.

With no pause, Star Platinum's cries echoed throughout the building, as Suki and Whit stood by, simply listening.

"Well, I must be going," Whit spoke, finally releasing Suki.

"Wait, but-"

Suki turned to see the man had disappeared without a trace. She sighed.

 _Goddammit…_

Gazing through the hole, the girl smiled as her friend prevailed over his enemies, Star throwing punch after punch into the opposition.

 _I really wish we didn't have to do this to these poor souls, but I'm glad he's defending himself well._

Suddenly, Suki became aware of an infant crawling towards Jotaro, as the man continued his assault on the never-ending ambush of bodies.

 _He…He doesn't notice the baby!_

Suki tried to see as much as she could through the small peephole, but there was not enough room to see if there was anything she could use below her.

 _Okay…Maybe if I use that same tactic again…_

She removed her canteen from her bag and poured water through the hole, as it landed on the floor with a trickling noise. Hoping no one heard or saw what she was doing, she blindly sent Knight of Cups into the puddle on the other side of the wall. Suki then shifted her viewpoint to look through Knight's eyes, as the spirit flew silently from the puddle and picked up the baby. The dead infant then began to wail, being lifted without consent.

 _No, no, don't_ cry _now!_ Suki thought.

Jotaro, having finished dealing with the other zombies, looked over at the sound of the baby crying, seeing a brown eye peeking through the hole in the wall. He raised an eyebrow.

"Suki?"

"Found you!"

Hearing Enyaba's shriek, Suki fell to the ground as she felt her foot scream at her in pain. As she was dragged into the lounge, she understood what the older woman wanted to do to her and grasped for any kind of stable object that would keep her from going in too far. She clung to the door for dear life, desperately trying to pull away from the force dragging her into the room. Her left arm was pried off easily, but her right arm refused to budge. Suddenly, the doors to the lounge slammed shut, smashing the fingers on her right hand. The girl howled in pain as she let go of the door, forced to her feet by Justice. She looked at Jotaro with agonized tears stinging her eyes, as she gritted her teeth to try and stand her ground. The man stood in a battle-ready stance, but something was different about the way he was looking at her.

 _I can't tell…Is he concerned?_ Suki wondered, _he shouldn't be, Enyaba's gonna make me…!_

As the thought reached its end, Suki's left arm lunged down, taking her body with her, picking up a pair of scissors the old woman had left on the floor.

"Jotaro," Suki forced out, "R-Run…"

She was dragged up again by the left arm, like a simple, lifeless puppet, as she lunged forward, driving the scissors in her hand towards the thug in front of her.

"My Stand, Justice, will win! I just need one spot! One little spot! You've fallen into my trap, Jotaro!" Enyaba cackled, as Suki wildly swung the bladed weapon in her hand, "And even worse for you, your little friend is going to be the one keeping you in!"

Jotaro dashed back, barely missing the girl's initial swings, as she continued dashing forward to make contact with the tool.

"Jotaro, it's me, Hol Horse! Enyaba's Stand is a fog Stand. Your wound will turn into a hole like mine, and she'll control you with the fog. She can even control corpses!" The cowboy explained from his place on the floor.

"Shut your mouth, Hol Horse!" Enyaba commanded, as she forced the man to punch his jaw shut.

The delinquent looked about calmly as he dodged a thrust aimed at his stomach.

"Jotaro, this is getting a _bit_ too-!" Suki warbled.

"I know, hang on," He spoke blandly, as he rushed back to the knocked over table, picking it up with one hand and blocking a stab directed at his face. In that moment, as Suki struggled, against her will, with the scissors stuck in the furniture, Jotaro summoned Star Platinum to yank the girl back, pushing her into the floor and pinning her completely. Despite her left leg and left forearm's best attempts to move, they could barely budge in the iron grip of the man's Stand. Suki desperately tried to catch her breath, closing her eyes for a split second in order to collect her thoughts, but opened them wide upon hearing Jotaro grunt in pain. Enyaba had managed to throw the scissors she held into Jotaro's leg, lodging them in his thigh.

Whether it was sheer impulse or a calculated attempt to get an opening, Jotaro summoned Star Platinum back and began to punch at Justice.

 _Why did you-! Wait…_ Suki thought, as she felt herself dragged back up, _maybe_ my _Stand can do the same thing…_

Suki called out to Knight of Cups, who dashed into the spilled water from before, before flying back and knocking her user to the floor, pinning her with a panicked, confused expression. The grip wasn't as strong, but if it could keep her from attacking Jotaro, she would take it with no questions asked.

Unfortunately, no matter what punch Star Platinum tried to throw, they all seemed to phase through the foggy, skull-headed wraith. The old witch cackled maniacally.

"Can you punch fog with your fist? Can you cut fog with your knife? Can you shoot fog with your gun? Futile! Absolutely futile! You guys can't do anything!"

"Th-That's the ultimate Stand!" Hol Horse marveled, "Our little Stands don't stand a chance. There's nothing that can defeat that Stand."

"Yes, yes, keep them coming." Enyaba coaxed, putting her bandaged hand to her ear, "Say more things like that," With another laugh, she boasted, "Now I'll control you, too, Jotaro!"

 _There's…nothing we can do…?_

"You mentioned that no one can have more than one Stand, did you not, Enyaba?"

 _Th-That voice…!_

"Well, I would beg to differ. I was given one gift by Dio, the only gift I recognize as such. Even so…" Whit materialized into view directly in front of Enyaba, his normally placid smile turned up even more in satisfaction, "One could call it a reminder of my mistakes."

"Wh-Whit…You're treading dangerous ground…" The old woman warned, as she spoke slowly, "What would Lord Dio say…?"

"'Lord' Dio?" A sound ripped from Whit's throat, a sound Suki had never heard from the man. A laugh, "That man…" Whit started, as he pulled a grenade out of his pocket.

"Is no lord of mine!"

"Whit, wait!" Suki cried out, fearful of the once stoic man going completely kamikaze.

 _Wait, but isn't that…?_

"Suki!"

Faster than she could see, Jotaro rushed in front of her, creating a wall between her and Whit, as his back was turned to the kamikaze man. He quickly placed a hand over her eyes, blocking her vision.

"Whit, what are you-?!" The old woman started, but was cut off by the loud bang of an explosion.

As the bang faded into a dull ringing, the two youths turned to see Enyaba's eyes were blown wide, as she looked about blindly. It was clear by the frantic way she was casting her vision about that she had been blinded, as Whit had disappeared once more without a trace.

… _A flashbang…_

"Now!"

Turning to Jotaro at his call, somewhat startled, she regained her composure.

"Right!"

The two rushed forward towards the old woman, Jotaro reeling back his arm to loose a left hook, as Suki stopped first to deliver a right roundhouse. The punch and kick collided with Enyaba's head simultaneously, as she collapsed forward after both people had removed their limbs.

Suki slowly but surely steadied her breathing, looking at Jotaro to see that he was nowhere near as winded, but the battle had left him slightly fatigued. The two were then aware of the sound of three sets of running footsteps approaching.

"What happened?! I heard an explosion down here and-!" Kakyoin started, taking in the disheveled state of the room, as well as the injured state of Suki and Jotaro.

At some point, the delinquent must have removed the scissors from his leg, as all that remained was a bloody hole in his thigh. Suki, however, was much worse for wear, with a hole in her left foot and left forearm, and the fingers of her right hand glowing an angry red. Her bottom lip also appeared to have received a cut, most likely from when she had been slammed into the floor by Star Platinum. The expressions of the three men had been somewhat concerned when they had walked in, but that level of concern only seemed to increase as they looked at Jotaro, and then turned to Suki.

"We'll explain later. For now," Jotaro shifted his attention to the old woman lying on the floor, unconscious, "We need to tie her up."

"She was an enemy Stand user who attacked us. We got a bit scuffed up during the battle…" Suki thought at least a bare-bones explanation would ease the worries of the three men. Not so.

"You didn't think to call any of us?" Joseph asked.

Jotaro and Suki exchanged a look, before the thug tugged his hat down and sighed, as the girl laughed nervously and scratched her cheek. The old man sighed.

"You two, I swear…"

* * *

Suki wanted nothing more than to rush outside and see if she couldn't find Whit. She couldn't begin to count how many questions she had for him; however, whether her brain was too shaken from what had happened or she just didn't feel like counting, she couldn't decide.

Whatever the case was, her allies were not having it. Least compliant were Polnareff, understandably, and, surprisingly, Kakyoin, who refused to even let either of his injured allies _move_ until they had been sufficiently patched up. Not until they had at least covered the gaping holes with bandages.

After receiving simple care, the girl limped outside, the heavy fog still hanging in the air. She pulled the gas mask she wore up slightly, giving the air an experimental sniff.

 _The smell of death…It isn't overpowering me anymore…_

Giving the mask one last parting look, she shoved it into her satchel. Suki then scanned her surroundings.

"Whit? Are you still there?"

Suki suddenly felt something light hit the back of her head. She turned at the impact, spotting a paper airplane on the ground. Picking up the small object, she cast her gaze about, searching for the sender. Her eyes were then captured by a small envelope covered in a plastic cover, sitting between the wings of the plane. Removing the envelope, she examined it closer, finding words written on it in English.

 _"Open this envelope when no one can look over your shoulder. Share this with no one. I will answer your questions then. Signed, Whit Houston."_

Suki quickly placed the small envelope in her bag, as she looked at the airplane again, looking for any secret compartments she might have missed.

"Couldn't find him?"

Suki turned upon hearing Jotaro's voice, as he strolled out of the building to join her in the clearing. She shook her head.

"He threw this at me though. At least, I think he did," The girl expressed, holding the plane out to the man in front of her. He took the paper object out of her hands, giving it a thorough examination, before handing it back to her.

"That guy was weird," He commented, as Suki unfolded the plane and placed the paper in her bag.

"You're telling me."

Jotaro then turned to the girl, looking her up and down. Noticing his intense stare, she met his gaze with a curious expression.

"Something wrong?"

"You…sure you're alright?"

"What do you mean?" Suki asked, turning towards her friend, "I just got a little banged up. We're fine now, aren't we? And I'll…see a d-doctor…once we reach a town, so it's no…no big deal."

Jotaro paused before he sighed, readjusting his hat on his head.

"If you say so."

"I just wish I hadn't screwed up again."

Jotaro raised an eyebrow, his question spoken through his actions.

"We may have gone in with more of a plan than normal, but…I still ended up putting you in danger. She used me against you, and that wouldn't have happened if I had left to go get help, or _something_. I just…" Suki looked at the ground, clenching her fists as she narrowed her eyes, "I need to get stronger…"

A small pause ensued. Then, Suki heard a small shuffle of footsteps, as Jotaro walked over and lifted her chin with one hand, searching her eyes with cold, blue irises.

 _H-Huh…?_ Suki felt her cheeks heat up at how close he was to her, _Is…Is he gonna…?!  
_

The girl then felt a finger poke at her head twice, as she flinched back and held her head defensively, pouting at the thug in front of her.

"You don't think enough."

"I…don't…?"

"You're too reckless. Try thinking before you go rushing in."

She thought for a moment.

"You make it sound so easy…"

"What's stopping you from thinking in battle, like you do outside of battle?"

"I…don't do well under pressure."

Jotaro thought for a moment, then spoke.

"How did you work with Dio for so long?"

"I convinced myself that he trusted me enough to keep me alive, that he wouldn't kill me."

"Then do that," The delinquent adjusted his hat as he made his suggestion clear, "Convince yourself that no one will die, because you _will_ come up with a plan. Does that sound reasonable?"

Suki looked up at him as she pored over his words to her.

 _I wonder…Is this how he always keeps a cool head in fights?_

After a moment, she nodded.

"Yeah. I'll do that."

The two then looked out at the slowly, but steadily thinning mist. Suddenly, another thought occurred to the girl, as she turned to the delinquent beside her.

"You…called me 'Suki' earlier."

The man cast his eyes to her quizzically for a moment before returning his gaze to the fog.

"I just thought I was always 'kid' to you, is all. I didn't expect to hear you say my name."

A pause. And then, Jotaro spoke.

"You've grown up a bit."

Suki looked at her friend with slightly parted lips. Her mouth then turned up in a smile, inwardly surprised that she'd be happy to hear something like that.

"Um…Could you…keep calling me 'Suki' from now on?"

"Why are you asking?" Jotaro queried with a quirked eyebrow.

"I just didn't know if this was a one-time thing, or something," Suki folded her arms as she shyly cast her gaze downward, "I…I like hearing you say my name."

"You…" Genuinely surprising the girl, the thug's cheeks tinted the slightest shade of red, as he turned away and tilted his hat over his eyes, "N-No promises, kid."

Suki decided against poking fun at the fact that she had made the man blush twice in her time of knowing him, as she merely gazed back at the dissipating fog with a sheepish grin.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the fog completely cleared. What both youths saw shocked them both, as Jotaro's eyes widened and Suki gasped.

"Everyone, come outside," Jotaro directed behind him.

The other three men walked outside, their expressions growing shocked as they gazed upon their surroundings.

"What on earth? We step outside of the hotel, and this place is…" Mr. Joestar started, but found he couldn't finish.

What sat in front of the group of five was a dusty expanse of disturbed gravestones and excavated skeletons.

"It's a graveyard," Kakyoin stated, "She was using her Stand's fog to make this graveyard look like a town, and a hotel?"

"So we were talking to the corpses that were buried in these graves…" Polnareff spoke anxiously.

 _I…didn't want to believe it…_

"It's unforgivable…" Suki muttered, as she shook her head, walking out to the lonely skeleton staring at her. She stared back for a moment, before turning to the rest of the group.

"Do you guys…mind if I…?"

Mr. Joestar nodded, giving her the go ahead. With that, Suki set out to rebury each of the bodies that had been left aboveground. She started with the skeleton closest to the hotel, as her right hand disagreed with her shoveling up the dirt.

 _I wish I could put these people back in front of their proper tombstones…_ Suki yearned, as she began to carefully place the bones in the hole she had created, _it's not any of my business, but I don't want these poor people being tripped over, if anyone decides to visit this place._

The girl cast her gaze back to the group standing in front of the hotel for a split second, before covering the bones she had placed in the hole with dirt.

 _I don't blame them. I didn't know any of these people either. But…_

 _I just want to give these people a chance to rest in peace._

* * *

"T-Take her with us? The old lady?" Polnareff asked, looking at Jotaro skeptically.

"Yeah," He responded, "We need to know how many more Stand users there are, what their powers are, where in Cairo Dio is hiding, if his location has changed, and what Dio's Stand's power is."

 _Right…Yellow Temperance said that Enyaba had taught Dio about Stands…_ Suki pondered, _o_ _f course, she would know what he can do with the Stand,_ the girl folded her arms and tilted her head, _I've been a bit antsy ever since we got that information out of him. How did_ he _know all of that, but I didn't? Thinking about it more, I think Dio gives information based on abilities. It's not a matter of who he trusts more, at that point. It's what we can do that determines what we learn. It would explain why only one of the people we've fought, as far as I know, knew about my "false-insurgent plan."_

"If we're able to get the old lady to tell us what it is, it'll give us a definite advantage," Mr. Joestar remarked.

"I doubt that she'd be willing to tell us, though…" Kakyoin expressed.

Joseph raised an arm, summoning Hermit Purple to twist around his limb.

"We just need to use my Hermit Purple to project what she's thinking onto a TV."

"Oh, right!" Polnareff said, "Since there isn't a TV in this graveyard, we'll do it in the next town."

Suddenly, the group heard the sound of a car starting and driving away. They all looked up to see Hol Horse driving away with their vehicle.

"Hol Horse! That bastard!" Polnareff swore, as he rushed after the car.

"Our car!" Kakyoin cried out, as he joined Polnareff's stride.

The blond cowboy turned his head back to yell at the group.

"Yeah, I'm gonna stick with Dio after all. See ya later! Provided you guys don't die first, that is. But I'll give you a warning! You should kill that old lady as quick as you can. Otherwise, that old lady'll show you just how terrifying Dio really is. See ya!"

...

"…What the hell is he talking about?" Polnareff asked no one in particular.

Suki turned her eyes back to the unconscious old lady, as she narrowed her eyes.

 _I don't know…And I hope we never find out…_

* * *

Chapter Ten – Secular Haze

-END—

-TO BE CONTINUED-

* * *

 **I can't be the only one who disagrees with the... *ahem* _humor_ , of Polnareff getting a hole in his tongue and, well...you probably know the rest. I will confess, that is the main reason I had Suki dissuade the guy from investigating further. He'd at least be safe from gross-out humor in the town, that much is true. I love JoJo's Bizarre Adventure to death, don't get me wrong, but, as a HUGE germaphobe, scatological humor does not sit well with me.**

 **...Okay, rant over. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will see you all next week!**

 **-BlueBow**


	12. Chapter 11 - I Put a Spell on You

Chapter Eleven – I Put a Spell On You

 **WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by a row of slashes (like this /), unlike the time/scene change denoted by a horizontal line (-). You have been warned.**

 **WARNING**

 **So, you know that warning I've been putting at the beginning of every single chapter so far, and it really hasn't come up _at all_? Well, there be explicit content in this chapter, and it is not the happy, bonding kind of explicit stuff, this is NOT consensual. So, MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING. If you are by no means okay with that, I have split the section off from the story with a line, plus there will be a warning before things get too hairy. Once again, you have been warned.**

 **Here we are, at my least favorite Stand fight in the entire series. On with the chapter.**

* * *

… _Somehow this happened. And I'm not questioning it,_ Suki thought, as she leaned back in the back seat of their new vehicle.

Perhaps it was the overwhelming stress that had accompanied their graveyard excursion earlier, which blurred Suki's memories to the point that she could not recall how they had acquired and managed to use a horse-drawn carriage. All she knew was that they had left the ghostly place in a red carriage with silver decorations, pulled by one black horse, and it was currently carting them to their next destination. In all seriousness, she was hardly in the mood to question these things, especially since her prior wounds had yet to receive proper medical attention.

The carriage pulled into a settlement, filled with modest shops and abodes.

"This should be Karachi…" Joseph mused, looking about.

 _Karachi! An old settlement, originally developed in the 18_ _th_ _century as a trading center and port by Hindu merchants, it was passed between the hands of the British and India, finally serving as Pakistan's capital in 1947, when the country obtained independence. However, this capital-condition was short-lived, as Rawalpindi became the interim capital in 1959, pending the completion of Islamabad. Despite this, the coastal town near the Indus River delta still leads the country in industry and commerce ._

"Hey, a doner kebab place! Why don't we stop and get something to eat?" Joseph suggested, licking his lips in anticipation. The man swiftly pulled the vehicle to a stop and exited, walking over to the stand.

"Hm. I am feeling a bit peckish…" Kakyoin thought aloud.

"Ugh…"

Polnareff and Kakyoin looked behind them at the girl in the backseat, as she rubbed her stomach.

"Something wrong?" Polnareff asked.

"I just have this weird stomachache for some reason…"

The two men looked at each other skeptically before turning back to Suki.

"It's nothing, I'm sure! Don't worry about it!" Suki waved dismissively. Satisfied with this answer, Kakyoin and Polnareff turned back in their seats, striking up a small conversation, as the yells of Joseph and the doner kebab vendor could be heard further away.

 _It's strange, though…_ The girl pondered, _it's not that time of the month, and I haven't eaten anything since this morning…Maybe it's a bad feeling about something…I…I_ do _feel uneasy, but for what reason?_

"Hey! That old lady's awake," Joseph announced as he stopped walking back to the carriage, dropping the bag of food as he pointed at the elder accusingly. Everyone else voiced their thoughts accordingly as they turned to look back at Enyaba.

"Eh?!"

On closer inspection, sweat was dripping down the old woman's face in buckets. She whimpered incoherently, clearly panicked. Following her gaze, Suki turned to stare at the doner kebab vendor.

 _I don't see…what…_

As she examined the man, her eyes looking for anything suspicious in his patterned, white, long-sleeved shirt, his white hood, his gold necklace, his sunglasses…her eyes fell on a pair of gloves covering his hands.

 _Odd…I didn't think I would see someone wearing gloves in this heat…_

Suki slowly maneuvered out of the carriage, over to Joseph, as Enyaba cried out fearfully.

"I-I…I haven't said anything! Wh-Why are you here before me? Do you think that I, Enyaba, would actually tell them the secret of Lord Dio's Stand?"

"Huh?" Everyone turned their gaze to the vendor, as he smirked. It was then that Suki was able to see that the finger of the glove on his left hand, the one meant to be filled by the ring finger, looked to be loose, as though he had retracted that one finger. Or…

 _He's…missing a finger…? He's missing_ that _finger…?!_ The girl's eyes widened in apprehension, _N-No…It couldn't…be…_

After what felt like ages, the vendor removed his head piece and sunglasses, revealing long black locks of hair and a sinister pair of maroon eyes.

 _It's…!_

The man sneered at the girl, as he made eye contact. All at once, memories of that stormy night in the hotel in Singapore came flooding back to Suki, as her eyes widened.

 _The man who attacked me, back in Singapore._

"Guys, we should run. Now," Suki addressed the group without turning, her heart rate picking up as she panicked inwardly.

Without warning, Suki heard a terrified warble of pain come from the vehicle behind her. Turning, she saw small, fleshy tentacles had slithered out of Enyaba's eye sockets, ears, and mouth, lashing out and extending as they busted through the hood of the carriage and broke the axles holding the wheels on. All of the remaining passengers save for the hapless victim leapt off, as the vehicle fell apart, causing the horse to rush off in a frenzy.

"Wh-What the hell are these tentacles?!" Polnareff shouted in disgust, as they waved wildly and widely about in the air.

"Why…Why have you come to kill me?!" The witch cried out.

The assassin shrugged off his white shirt, a cover for his white vest with a black, open collared, long-sleeved shirt underneath.

"It means that Lord Dio truly trusts no one. I will be making sure you never speak again," The mysterious man assured, as he dropped his shirt on the ground to the side, "And as for you four there…" He turned, bowing in a slightly showy manner, "I will be taking your lives."

 _Right…He's the same man who attacked me back in Singapore, before I met up with everyone,_ Suki recalled, _But is he not counting me? He tried to kill me before, so what changed? Was he unaware of the plan I had suggested to Dio before…?_

"As for you, Suki…" The girl flinched at her name, "I must admit, I have never seen Lord Dio so furious with the audacity of a follower. I would've thought he wanted you dead, but he corrected my assumptions and said he didn't want something so simple as death for you. What that is, I can only imagine, but I can assure you," He grinned at the girl with a menacing glint in his eyes, "As soon as your friends are dealt with, I will be ushering your traitorous self to Lord Dio personally."

 _What…? No, I…He believed me…He went along with the plan, he believed me, I know it!_

The assassin laughed upon seeing Suki's expression shift into terrified disbelief.

"Did you honestly think you could fool the great Lord Dio?! You truly are as feeble-minded as he described!"

 _If…If he_ knew _the whole time…Then…!_ Suki pressed her hands to the side of her head, shaking back and forth, shutting her eyes, _No, no, no! My mom is safe, I made_ sure _of that! She'll take care of the others, too…I can't…I can't let this guy in my head!_

"Old lady!" Polnareff yelled, as Enyaba wailed in agony, the tentacles flailing about with ferocious violence. Blood sprayed everywhere as she tumbled out of the shambling carriage. Polnareff and Joseph looked on in horror, as Jotaro, Kakyoin, and Suki looked anywhere but at the frighteningly ghastly scene.

"My name is Dan…Steely Dan. My Stand suggests The Lovers card. I will see to it that you four meet the same fate as Enyaba," The enemy Stand user folded his arms and leaned against the wall as he introduced himself nonchalantly, uncaring of the torture occurring only a few yards away.

"How could you?! That old lady was one of you, wasn't she?" Polnareff asked as he turned and rushed over to the suffering elder, "Old lady!" He stopped as a tendril wavered particularly close to his face.

"L-L-Lies…" Enyaba denied weakly, "Lies…It's a lie…Lord Dio would never do this to me…"

"The thing coming out of the old lady's body is not a Stand! They're real! They're real, moving tentacles!" Kakyoin cried out.

Blood streamed down the old lady's face as she vehemently refused to believe Steely Dan's words.

"He would never do something like this to me…He would never plant a flesh bud…"

"Flesh bud?" Kakyoin asked.

"Lord Dio is my reason to live… We trust each other…"

"Old lady!" The Frenchman summoned Silver Chariot. The knight slashed furiously at the tentacles, sending the discarded remnants into the sunlight to burn into a fine powdery dust.

"Th-They…They melted from the rays of the sun," Joseph concluded, "The flesh bud! It's Dio's own cells!"

"Precisely! I'm impressed you were able to figure that out," Dan spoke in false praise, "That is what the flesh bud, made from Lord Dio's own cells, looks like when it's grown. I just grew it inside of Enyaba. Enyaba, I heard that you were the one who told Lord Dio about Stands," The enemy Stand user rose from his leaning position, bringing a finger up to punctuate his point, "But there is no way that Lord Dio would ever trust a little old woman like yourself. It seems you hadn't realized that."

Joseph dropped to his knees down next to the old woman, removing his hat and bunching it in a fist, as she struggled for air.

"Old lady! Tell us what the true identity of Dio's Stand is! Tell us! You placed your hope and trust in Dio! And now you know he's not the man you thought he was! I have to defeat Dio! Please, tell me!" The old man raised his voice to a louder point than any the rest of the group had heard prior as he begged, "Tell me! Tell me about Dio's Stand!"

"Lord…Dio…" Joseph leaned closer, his ear directed towards her to hear her better.

"He believes in me. I can't tell you…"

The old woman's eyes went empty, devoid of all life.

"Oh, God!" Mr. Joestar shouted.

A sinister laugh rang through the air, as the group turned to see Steely Dan sitting at a table in front of a café across the street, a dainty tea cup sitting in front of him.

"How sad…How truly sad that old woman was. But the fact that she trusted him so deeply shows how powerful Dio's evil charm truly is," He grinned malevolently at the heroes. Suki stepped forward, meeting him head on.

"I don't need to hear how sad she was, especially not from a scumbag like you. So, why don't you stop acting all high and mighty and-"

"I would watch my words if I were you, Suki. You could just as easily suffer the same fate," Dan smirked as he leaned back in his chair, "After all, you may have taken my finger, but that doesn't mean that my mission was a failure."

 _Wait, this…this whole time…_

Her expression twisted in shock and fear as Steely Dan laughed at her plight. Suki grasped at her head as her pupils shook.

"You can rest easy for the moment, Suki. For you see, I have… _other_ plans, right now…" A self-satisfied smile turned up the lips of the maroon-eyed man, as he cast his gaze to the rest of the group.

 _If he doesn't want to kill me…Why would he plant a flesh bud?_ Suki questioned inwardly, _Is it insurance, in case I step out of line? What does…What does that monster want with me?!_

The other four men stepped up to the enemy Stand user, glowering harshly at him. Seemingly oblivious to the surrounding threats, Dan sipped from his cup without a care in the world. Polnareff raised a fist and clenched it.

"Since Enyaba was connected with my sister's death, I'm pretty conflicted about this. But I _will_ kill you."

"It'll be five against one, but we won't hesitate," Kakyoin warned, folding his arms, "Prepare yourself."

"Stand up," Jotaro ordered.

Steely Dan set the cup back down leisurely.

"Hey, jackass!" Jotaro pointed at the enemy Stand user, "Don't try to act cool at a time like this. Even if you won't attack us, we're going to fight."

"Do as you please," Dan allowed, "But none of you will be able to even lay a finger upon me, Steely Dan."

Suki blinked and Star Platinum was immediately in front of the man, delivering a vicious jab to his stomach, sending him flying into the liquor store window behind him. The girl almost laughed at the sheer slapstick timing of the blow, but was stopped upon hearing Joseph grunt in pain. She turned to see him flying back in a similar manner, blood spurting from his mouth.

"What?" Jotaro was confused by the sequence of events, watching his grandfather slowly rise from the ground. Polnareff and Kakyoin joined the delinquent's gaze.

"Wh-What happened, Mr. Joestar?" Polnareff asked, returning his eyes to Steely Dan, "He flew back just like that guy!"

"You fool!" Dan reprimanded, as he stood from the broken glass and collapsed cardboard boxes, "I was still in the middle of my explanation. You were very close to killing your own grandfather," The assassin stood up completely as he explained, "Listen carefully. Do you really think I appeared before you just to kill Enyaba?" He spat a glob of blood out to the side. Joseph had brought himself to one knee in the meantime, as a deep crimson coated his glove from wiping his mouth.

"Y-You bastard…You said you had the Stand of The Lovers' card, didn't you? Wh-What is that?!"

"The battle has already begun, Mr. Joestar," Dan announced. Everyone scanned the area, trying to find the Stand, the source of the attack. Smirking, Dan continued, "You fools…No matter how hard you look, you won't be able to find my Stand easily."

As the man with maroon eyes wiped blood from his own mouth, he spotted a small boy sweeping outside of the store.

"Hey, brat. I'll give you a tip, so hit my leg with your broom."

Steely Dan held up a dark red bill as he spoke, tossing it to the child. The paper fluttered in the wind, making its way through the air to the boy's waiting hands, his eyes wide.

"I-It can't be…" Joseph denied.

"Hit me!"

In one swift movement, the kid brought the handle of the broom back and swung it into Dan's left shin, putting all of his strength behind the swing. Joseph's left leg distorted as though he had suffered a much more brutal injury to the same place, as he shouted in pain. The rest of the group looked to him in concern.

"What happened, Mr. Joestar?!" Kakyoin asked.

Joseph held his head in disbelief.

"I-It hurts! I don't know what's going on, but there's tremendous pain…"

"You haven't figured it out, Joseph Joestar?" Dan patronized, "My Stand goes inside the bodies of others. The moment Enyaba died, it entered your brain through your ear."

"What?"

"Meaning, the Stand and myself are one and the same. If my Stand gets hurt, so do I, and vice versa."

"But the user will always be hurt if their Stand is injured, no matter what kind of Stand you have. That fact is common knowledge," Suki pointed out.

Dan merely pursed his lips as he looked over to the boy standing by once more.

"I gave you enough money, didn't I? Hit me again, hard as you can."

The child obliged, and Mr. Joestar received even more punishment to his limb.

"Holy shit! Suki, what the hell?!"

"I'm so sorry! I-I didn't know he would react like…" _Such a brat,_ Suki wanted to add, but she bit her tongue and concluded, "…Like that!"

"Hmph. Clearly, no one taught you manners. It's rude to interrupt people when they're talking, you know," Dan smiled condescendingly as he reprimanded the girl. She clenched her fists.

"Now, then, as I was saying, before I was so _rudely_ interrupted…If you so much as scratch me, my Stand, which is within your brain, will react to my pain and suffering in that same moment by going berserk. It will inflict pain several times greater to the same part of your body," Dan raised a finger, "I'll say it once more…You will not be able to lay a single finger on me!"

The enemy Stand user allowed a moment of quiet for that information to sink in before continuing.

"Not to mention, The Lovers has taken Lord Dio's flesh bud into your body. It's growing within your brain. Just like Enyaba, it will eat you from the inside and you will die!"

Suddenly, the child brought the broom back and clocked Dan in the back of the left knee.

"Ow!" Joseph yelled, futilely grasping at his left leg.

The boy smiled innocently, as he held out an open hand, asking for more money.

"When did I say you could strike me again? You little brat!"

Steely Dan turned and smacked the child across the face, sending him backwards onto the dirt. After recovering from the blow, the boy stood up and rushed off in a tearful hurry, dragging the broom behind him. Dan dusted his hand off on his pants, as though the kid had left dirt on it.

"Well, to be honest, my Stand, The Lovers, is very weak. It isn't powerful enough to move even a single strand of hair. It is the world's weakest Stand. But…You don't need power to kill humans. Do you understand, lady and gentlemen? If I were to be in a car accident, hit by a baseball, or even to trip and fall, Mr. Joestar…Your body would suffer far greater damage than mine," Dan cracked his knuckles.

"I-I can even feel pain in my artificial left hand…" Joseph spoke anxiously, as the fingers of his left hand spasmed without warning.

"And in ten minutes, your brain will be eaten through, and you will die like Enyaba."

"No…" Suki held her head in her hands, as she cried out, "No way!"

Jotaro rushed forward and grabbed Dan by the collar, yanking him up and curling his free hand into a fist. Star Platinum's fist phased into existence behind the hand of his user, as the enemy Stand user's expression morphed from self-satisfaction to shock.

"Jotaro, calm down!" Kakyoin moved forward, pushing an arm between the two, forcing Jotaro back. Suki could see it took quite a bit of effort to even restrain him, as Kakyoin cautioned, "Don't do anything stupid."

"No. I'm going to kill him so quickly, he won't have a moment to feel pain."

Hearing choked noises coming from behind Jotaro, Suki looked to see Joseph grasping at his throat, clearly struggling to breathe. Jotaro seemed to notice this as well, as he let go of Dan's collar. Mr. Joestar began to cough, trying to regain his normal breathing pattern.

"Without a moment to feel pain, huh…" Dan mused, as he readjusted his collar, "Hah! That's a great idea. Let's see you try it, Jotaro. It sounds fascinating. What were you planning to destroy?"

The man pointed at his own body parts in a taunting manner.

"Come on! My face? My throat? Come on, what's wrong? Just try it! Let's just see what happens!"

Dan pulled his shirt open slightly.

"How about busting a hole through my chest?"

He looked around, his eyes landing on a rock sitting on the ground, about the size of his head.

"Or how about you give up on using your Stand, and crack open my head with a rock? Here, I'll even get the rock for you," He sauntered over to the stone in question, picking it up and looking back to Jotaro, "Is this one big enough?"

Jotaro did not answer with words. The thug walked forward and grabbed Dan by the collar again, with both of his hands. In the split second in which he had passed her, Suki was surprised to see a storm of fire billowing in the normally cool blue irises of her ally. She couldn't help feeling a bit of fear at his shift in emotion.

"You don't want to underestimate me. When I say I'm going to do something, I do it," He claimed, narrowing his eyes.

Joseph continued to choke further away, as the delinquent summoned Star Platinum. In response, Kakyoin summoned Hierophant Green, as Suki called Knight of Cups. Both Stands pulled back on Star's arm, as the users tried to restrain Jotaro, Kakyoin attempting to pull his fellow student back by the shoulder as Suki tried to pry his other arm off of Dan.

"Don't do anything rash, Jotaro!" Jotaro called back Star Platinum. The other two users recalled their Stands as Kakyoin continued, "You've already seen his powers! Are you trying to kill your own grandfather?!"

"H-He's the type that might actually do it…" Polnareff dashed over and joined in trying to restrain the thug.

"Jotaro, please, stop! Mr. Joestar is choking!" Suki cried.

Jotaro gritted his teeth, as Dan gave him a slimy grin.

"You aren't taking me seriously," Dan scolded, as he smacked the rock he still held against Jotaro's arm, causing him to let go. This did nothing to change the furious expression Jotaro still pointed at the assassin.

"Oh…? You…"

Dan reeled his arm back and delivered a harsh punch to Jotaro's stomach, causing him to collapse to his knees.

"Jotaro!" Joseph called out.

"Don't underestimate me, you bastard," Dan spoke venomously, "After the geezer Joestar dies, next it'll be…"

Steely Dan raised the rock into the air and brought it down quickly, aiming for Jotaro's skull.

"Look out!"

Without a thought, Suki rushed in front of the downed man and took the incoming blow, the rock making unwelcome contact with her spine. She held her ground with gritted teeth and an unrestrained grunt of pain, shielding her friend with her body. Jotaro, having braced himself for the blow, looked up at the sound, his eyes widening at the scene.

"Fucking… _stop it_ ," Suki half-sobbed, half-spat, her tone acidic.

"Aw, how adorable," Dan mocked, as he placed a foot on Suki's back, shoving her forward, "It makes me _sick_!"

Jotaro caught the girl, looking at Dan with a glare that could kill, as he wrapped an arm around Suki in a protective manner.

"I'll just have to send The Lovers into your brain and kill you, Jotaro!"

Steely Dan brought the rock back again and swung it towards Jotaro's head once more. He brought up his arm to block, but was knocked on his side by the force of the blow, taking Suki with him. Polnareff and Joseph rushed over to the two who had fallen.

"Wh-What the hell are you doing?!" Joseph shouted.

Dan tipped his head back and laughed, as Jotaro tried to push himself back up. Suki quickly sat up and turned to her ally.

"Jotaro…"

She saw him grit his teeth, his eyes shining with rage as blood spilled from his lips.

 _He's…really distressed…_ Feeling tears well up in her eyes, Suki shook her head, biting back the waterworks.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps, moving away from their location. She looked over Jotaro to see Kakyoin and Joseph sprinting down the street.

"H-Hey!" Polnareff called out, as he followed the two men. Kakyoin turned back and addressed his other two allies.

"Jotaro! Suki! Keep him away from Mr. Joestar! We're going to get as far away from him as possible!"

Suki stood up, watching the three men run off.

 _I don't know what you all are planning…_ Suki dug her fingernails into her palms as she took a deep breath.

 _But please…Please hurry!_

"Oh, I see…" Dan spoke, completely sure of himself, "So you think…"

Uncaring of the conclusions Dan had jumped to, Suki turned and extended a hand to Jotaro. As he looked up at her, she saw his eyes still carried a frightening anger. Suki's eyes widened like a startled rabbit's, as she slightly retracted her hand.

 _No…I need to help him through this. I can't get scared,_ Suki renewed her determination, _Besides, it's not_ me _he's angry with._

Suki pushed her hand back out, further to him, goading him into accepting her help with a resolute look in her eyes. She was sure she saw something flicker in the blue eyes of her friend for a moment, before he took her hand and pulled himself up with her support. As their hands connected, she felt dirt and dust rubbing roughly against her palm, joined by a battle-hardened callous feeling of his skin. After he had stood up, Dan walked over and began tugging at the collar of Jotaro's coat, much like an unsatisfied child.

"Hey, Jotaro! I'm talking to you! What are you looking away so calmly for? Look at me!"

"Grr…" Suki audibly growled, as she started forward. Jotaro held her shoulder and shook his head minimally.

 _Dammit. How the hell are_ you _the one keeping your cool now, Jotaro?_ Suki wondered as she backed off.

Jotaro shifted his eyes to the assassin without turning his head.

"You sound like you're starting to lose your cool."

"Do you plan to follow me until Joseph dies?" Dan asked with a skeptical expression.

"Dan, was it?" Jotaro asked, before making an assurance, his tone firm.

"I will definitely make you pay for this."

Steely Dan chuckled as he moved in front of Jotaro, keeping a tight grip on his coat, the chain jangling quietly.

"If that's why you're following me, maybe I should borrow a little more."

Suki helplessly watched as Dan reached into the pockets of Jotaro's trenchcoat, the delinquent making no move to stop him. She gritted her teeth, dying to tell him to back off. Jotaro seemed able to read her mind in that moment, as he sent a quick glance in her direction, sending a silent instruction to keep her head on her shoulders.

 _It was so easy to keep a level head earlier, when I could_ see _how pain to Dan affected Mr. Joestar…_ Suki thought, _Now, I've lost that restraint. I just…Need to calm down. It's clear that Kakyoin has a plan. I need to trust that he'll pull it off before it's too late._

"Is this all you have?" Dan asked, as he opened Jotaro's wallet and looked inside. He then turned his attention to what his other hand held, "I see that your watch, audaciously enough, is a TAG Heuer. I'll be borrowing this."

With that snide comment, Dan began to walk away, as Jotaro followed from a fair distance. Suki tagged along close behind. After a few moments of their joined footsteps, Jotaro looked back with a quizzical expression.

"You're not going with them?"

"I mean…" Suki locked eyes with Jotaro, lowering her voice, "Someone has to make sure…that he doesn't kill you."

He sighed.

"You're worrying too much. He's not going to kill me, Suki," She cast her eyes away, disbelieving of this statement, "I can fend for myself. You know that as well as I do. You don't have to jump in to protect me."

"Look, I know you can take a hit, but seeing you get hurt still hurts me, alright? Especially when you can't fight back."

"It hurts you?" Jotaro thought for a moment, before shaking his head, "That's stupidly sentimental."

"Says the guy who's taking punishments to keep his grandfather from getting hurt."

"The old man can't fight this guy. This is different."

"I just want to protect you guys," Suki looked at Jotaro questioningly, "Is that so wrong?"

"No, but-"

"A drainage ditch…"

Jotaro and Suki looked over upon hearing Dan's voice, as the enemy Stand user examined the ditch in question. A river of water flowed down the channel, about six feet wide, by her estimate.

"I could jump across this ditch, but if I were to trip and twist my ankle, it could be dangerous. It'd be a pain to go all the way to that bridge over there. Hey, Jotaro."

Steely Dan looked over at Jotaro with a smug expression.

"Lie down across this ditch and make yourself into a bridge. I'll walk over it on you."

Jotaro was silent.

"What? You're not going to be my bridge?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jotaro asked, his face twitching into an irritated scowl for a fraction of a second. Dan's face twisted in anger.

"I said, make yourself into a bridge! You ridiculous bastard!"

The assassin swung his right leg into a small metal structure on the side of the ditch. Suki could hear Joseph yelling out in pain in her mind, as she winced.

"Look, instead of that…" Suki suggested, pointing at the water, "My Stand can manifest herself from water. She can carry you across, and we won't _need_ to make a human bridge."

"But, how do _I_ know you're not just going to drop me?" Dan looked at the girl with an unsympathetic expression, as he shook the pain out of his foot, "I've been referred to as something of a slippery bastard, so there's certainly a possibility of you dropping me, whether on accident or on purpose."

 _So, what he's saying is he would do his damnedest to escape and hurt himself,_ Suki thought, her expression hardening, _"It's my way or the highway"…Right?_

"What's the matter, Jotaro?" Dan asked, turning back to the delinquent.

There was a pause, before Jotaro turned to the ditch.

"Tch."

He hesitated, on one knee next to the stream.

"Come on, hurry up."

Jotaro gritted his teeth and stretched himself across the gap.

"Good," Dan said, as he stepped harshly onto the back of Jotaro's leg.

 _Using physical force to hurt another person is one thing…_ Suki thought venomously, as she bit her thumb hard, _but stepping all over someone's pride, treating them like dirt… I won't forgive it. I'll never forgive it._

"You're a rather sturdy bridge, aren't you?" Dan spoke in a satisfied tone, balancing back and forth on Jotaro's back, "Aren't you? Aren't you?"

"Get on your way, _bastard_!"

The girl stepped forward, as though preparing to pounce on the man, but Jotaro called out to her.

"Suki, you remember how his Stand works, don't you?"

"Gh-!"

Dan turned back and gave the girl a slimy grin. Clenching a fist, she turned away.

"Yeah, I remember."

"It seems you know your place, Jotaro," Dan stated with a laugh. The enemy finally finished walking across the thug, stepping heavily on his hand and digging his heel in. He then turned to Suki.

"Your turn, Suki," He called out, drawling her name in such a way that her stomach turned.

Suki looked to Jotaro, then to the ditch, then to Dan, back to Jotaro, before she nodded to herself. With a dash and a jump, she leapt across the ditch, as Dan's expression twisted in irritation.

 _Bitch, you_ thought _._

"I said, it was _your turn_!"

Dan wound his arm back and slammed his fist into the girl's cheek just as she landed on the other side, sending her flying back into the drainage ditch. A loud splash accompanied her as she landed in the water. She resurfaced quickly, able to see Jotaro's eyes flare up from her place beneath him. The girl coughed weakly as she pulled herself out of the water, the distinct discomfort of water in her nose and ears, as her hair fell limply in her face. She brought herself up to dry land slowly, her past injuries burning irritably, and saw Dan shaking out the hand he had used to punch her.

"You'd do well to listen to me, bitch."

Ignoring his bratty comment, Suki turned and helped Jotaro across the stream. Making it across, the student sat in a crouch for a moment, as Dan chuckled from a ways away.

"You made a nice bridge, Jotaro."

The man with maroon eyes then turned and carried on, humming an unintelligible tune. Suki stared after him with narrowed eyes, as she saw Jotaro get up out of the corner of her vision. She looked at him curiously, asking him a silent question, but he refused to meet her eyes as he continued to walk.

After a few moments of aimless walking, Dan suddenly stopped.

"Hey, Jotaro. My back itches. Scratch it!"

"Okay, the bridge thing, I _can_ get," _Maybe, if I was a sadist,_ Suki added inwardly, "but you have two hands and two perfectly working arms," She raised a fist at him as she spoke, "Scratch your own damn back!"

Steely Dan sighed.

"You know, every barb you throw at me just makes me want to throw myself into that ditch more and more. Or maybe I could walk in front of an oncoming car. Whatever would let me be deaf to what you have to say."

 _Fucker…_ Suki thought, _that's_ suicide _you're being so flippant about!_

Jotaro turned and gave the girl a warning look. She sighed as she pursed her lips and bit her tongue, folding her arms and shutting her eyes in thought as he went to work.

 _I can't keep my cool for two damn_ seconds…Suki thought, _Dammit, I should've asked Polnareff if we could've switched, he'd at least be better at keeping a level head here…_

"A little lower… Lower… Yeah, that's it."

 _Hmph. I would've expected you to say, "Too low!", followed by "Lower…" again._

"Alright, let's go," Dan ordered, stepping away from the delinquent.

The three walked in tense silence for a few moments, Jotaro and Suki hanging back quite a bit from Dan. After a moment, Jotaro spoke up.

"You should probably go and join the others."

Suki bit her lip.

"I…I can't. I told you before-"

"And, _I_ told _you_ , he's not gonna kill me. Besides," Jotaro lowered his voice, "It shouldn't be much longer."

"It…hasn't even been ten minutes?" Suki asked, putting a finger to her chin.

"No."

… _How does time even work…?_ The girl couldn't help wondering. She shook her head.

"Then what's the point of me leaving?"

"It's obvious you're having trouble watching this. Just leave him to me, I'll be fine."

"But what if you _won't be_?" Her voice raised against her volition, as Jotaro, casting his gaze over to see that Dan had stopped, stopped himself. He stood in front of her as she continued.

"I...I just _left_ my mom, all alone. I was sure that she could take care of herself, protect herself if Dio came after her…But, what if she got outsmarted? Something could've happened to her, and I wouldn't even know. My friends, too, I…I left them behind without even thinking…I…I can't do that again…I _won't_ do that again."

The girl felt moisture on her cheeks. She reached up and touched them, seeing them come away wet. Laughing sadly, she rubbed her eyes.

"Sorry, I know you said this was annoying…I'm so goddamn stupid…"

A few moments passed in quietude. Finally, the man in front of her spoke up.

"You don't know. They could still be alive."

"M-Maybe," Suki admitted, sobbing quietly, "But, I still…I still…!"

The crying girl heard the distinct rhythm of footsteps approaching, and, after a moment, the distinct warmth of a hand on her head, giving her a light pat. Looking up, for a split second, she was sure she saw her brother again, standing in front of her and smiling. Suki blinked, and her brother was gone, replaced by Jotaro, his eyes closed as he took a deep breath. Finally, the man opened his eyes, the unyielding anger that had burned in them slightly tempered, as he looked down at the girl in front of him.

"You're too nice for your own good, you know that?"

 _The pat on the head is a little awkward, but_ , Suki thought, _is he…trying to comfort me…?_

Suki smiled shyly, the last of her tears falling down her cheeks. She then cast her eyes away and blushed.

"Uhm, Jotaro-"

"Are you two _quite_ done?"

The two looked over to see Steely Dan looking at them with a sneer. Immediately, Jotaro retracted his arm and stepped back from the girl. He cast his eyes to hers in a silent message to get back into following him. She nodded and began to follow the thug as he walked along behind the enemy Stand user.

After a moment, Suki saw Jotaro pull out a small journal and pen, placing the capped end on his lips before writing something down. Choosing not to pry, Suki kept her eyes forward as they continued to walk.

* * *

Somehow, they had gotten to the point where Jotaro had taken a knee in front of Steely Dan, polishing his shoes with a cloth as the assassin laughed. Suki chose not to remember how they had arrived at this situation.

"Come on!" Dan taunted, reeling his foot back and nailing Jotaro in the jaw. Suki brought a hand to her mouth as her friend was sent back by the blow.

"What are you doing?! Shine those shoes right, Jotaro!" Pleased with himself, the enemy Stand user crossed his legs and drummed his fingers on his shoe, "I'm in such a good mood right now! I need you to shine my shoes until they're as bright as I feel right now. I want the sunny sky to reflect right off of them."

Jotaro rose back up to one knee, as Suki rushed over to help him up. He shook his head as he stood up completely.

"If you want, you can use your uniform to shine them. Actually, why not lick them clean?"

After a moment, the delinquent pulled out the notebook Suki had eyed earlier, scrawling something in its pages.

 _I've never seen him bring that out before today…_ Suki thought, _I wonder what-_

"Hey! You bastard!" Dan shouted, reaching over and snatching the journal out of the student's hand, "What are you writing?!"

"I'm writing down everything you owe me," Jotaro admitted, his lips turning up in a smile that could only be described as sinisterly sadistic, "I'm going to make sure you pay it. I can be forgetful, so I'm writing it all down."

 _That's…_ Suki swallowed thickly, _something about the_ way _he said that…I feel kind of excited…_

Dan appeared to take pause, turning over the words that had just been spoken to him in his mind. The assassin pulled his right arm back and delivered a backhanded slap to Jotaro's face. The thug didn't say a word, as a small trickle of blood fell from his lip.

"Jotaro, you bastard…" Steely Dan seemed to finally calm down, as he let the notebook slip from his fingers to the dusty ground, "Well, whatever. It won't matter in the end. Anyways…"

He pointed at a nearby jewelry shop.

"Let's check that place out."

"Are you looking for a wedding ring?"

Suki had asked that question on pure unadulterated impulse. Dan clearly assumed that she had only had intentions of taunting him, as he shot her a visceral glare. Realizing what she had said, Suki threw her hands up to cover her mouth, wishing beyond logic that she could take back what she said, remembering the results of the last time she had "sassed" him.

"Are you trying to be funny? Because I'm not _laughing_!"

The man reeled his arm back again, aiming to slap the girl, as she shut her eyes, taking the full force of the blow. After a moment, Suki reached up and delicately touched her cheek, as it glowed an angry shade of red. She winced at the slight sting.

 _Thank God,_ Suki thought, _he didn't try to injure himself._

As Dan continued into the jewelry shop, Jotaro picked up his notebook and quickly scratched something down, before replacing it in his pocket and following the enemy Stand user inside.

Opening the door, the two saw him hunched over a glass case, laughing to himself.

"Say, Jotaro," Jotaro came up beside Dan, as the maroon-eyed man pointed at an accessory sitting in the case, "Take a look at this gold bracelet. It would make a girl happy, if you were to give her something like this."

Steely Dan sneered at Suki, as she turned her gaze in a different direction, coming around to the other side of the case. The bracelet he had pointed out was covered in blue jewels and bulky, clearly meant to be slipped over the hand, with no noticeable clasp.

"Jotaro, see that space in the glass? Use your Stand to sneak through and steal it!"

Jotaro kept his gaze up, unresponsive to Dan's orders. The assassin lowered his voice to an aggressive whisper.

"I told you to steal it, you dumbass! Hurry it up! Or…I don't mind breaking the glass and taking it myself. Are you okay with them catching me and beating the shit out of me? Joseph would definitely die from the pain."

Jotaro stayed silent.

"Hurry up! The salesman's looking the other way!"

 _I…I can't let this happen._

Suki looked on as Jotaro covertly leaned forward and brought his hand closer to the glass. Unbeknownst to him, Suki had spat into her hand. She reached over quickly, blocking the hole with her own hand, as she summoned Knight of Cups with a whisper. Jotaro stopped and looked up at the girl, his eyes widening. She returned his gaze with a wink.

"Jotaro steals? No dignity," With a smirk, she pulled the bracelet out of the case, grasping it as Knight's hand retracted into hers.

"This kid's shoplifting!"

 _Shit!_ Suki panicked inwardly, gasping lightly, _that_ fucker _, I didn't think he'd-!_

Looking back to her hand upon it feeling suddenly weightless, she saw that Jotaro had swiped the bracelet from her hand during her small panic, just as the salesman looked over to the two, his expression twisting in shock and anger.

"Wha…Why?" Suki asked quietly.

Dan looked back at the two with a cheeky smirk, as he turned back to the salesman and pointed at Jotaro.

"This guy's shoplifting! Hey, salesman!"

"Sir! Please don't let him get away!" The salesman cried out as he rushed down the hall.

"Sure!" Dan agreed with a chuckle.

"You bastard…" Jotaro cursed, staring daggers at the assassin.

"Why…did you do that…?" Suki asked.

"You can't take a punch. I had a feeling he was going to call security, but you weren't expecting that," Jotaro replied, darting his eyes to the three men entering from the hallway.

"Even so, you've taken _enough_ punches today!" Suki whispered aggressively, "I would've been fine!"

"I wouldn't have!"

Suki was taken aback by his response as he locked eyes with her, his gaze flaring.

 _Jotaro…_

"What? A thief?" One of the guards asked, pointing at Jotaro.

"Who is it? That guy?" Another guard asked. On closer inspection, the three men who had walked in alongside the salesman were clearly built for a job like security.

"That Asian kid?"

Suki quickly dashed around the case and stood in front of her friend, unwilling to let any more abuse come to him.

"I-I can explain! Please, don't do this!"

"Stand back, little lady. We can handle this just fine," The third guard spoke, trying to comfort her. She shook her head.

"No, but-!"

"You heard the man. Stand. Back," Dan commanded, as he grabbed the girl by the back of her top and dragged her away from the group.

"Back where I come from, they chop a thief's fingers off!" The first guard expressed angrily, as he cracked his knuckles.

 _No…N-no, please…Stop…_

Suki saw Jotaro summon Star Platinum. The violet figure floated calmly behind his user, rooted to the spot.

"Hey, Jotaro. You better not use your Stand against civilians," Dan warned, nudging past Jotaro as he dragged the girl behind him.

Suki tried to stand her ground against being dragged. With only one uninjured foot, her attempts were not as fruitful as she had wished. She reached out in vain to her friend.

"Jotaro…please…"

Startling her, Star rushed over and brought his hands over her eyes. Not even a nanosecond passed before she began to hear the sounds of a violent scuffle, as Jotaro grunted in pain over and over again.

 _He…He knows I don't want to watch…_ Suki felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she began to sob quietly, _why…Why does this have to happen to him? Why?!_

The girl felt the grip on her shirt disappear, as Dan laughed, moving away from her. Suki tried to pry Star Platinum's hand off of her face, but he wouldn't budge.

 _Please…Why can't you just let me help you here…?_

Suki desperately tried to stifle her sobs and dam the tears flowing freely from her eyes, as the sounds of the one-sided beating went on for what felt like hours.

A few minutes later, the violet color faded out of view. Looking to the door, the girl saw the guards throw Jotaro out into the street. The three men heckled her friend unintelligibly before strolling back into the shop, as Suki rushed past them.

"Jotaro!" Suki sprinted over and knelt down by his side, laying a hand on his shoulder. The man's eyes were narrowed, likely squinting from the sting of dirt, as he looked up at the girl.

"You're…okay, right?"

"I'm…!" She was taken aback, as she continued, "You're the one who was abused! Why are you worrying about me? Why are you…" Tears began to spill out of the girl's eyes again, "Why are you calling me out for being stupidly sentimental, when you're jumping in and taking the hit for me?"

"I told you…" He coughed, "You can't take a hit."

"I…No…stop…"

The two heard the sound of a man laughing. Turning her gaze up, Suki saw Dan approaching. Her sad gaze quickly shifted into an acidic glare.

"That was great! Well done!" The assassin held up a different gold bracelet, flimsy and gaudy, with in-laden gems, "Because of the commotion you caused, I was able to get my hands on something even better!"

"Th-That's enough…" Suki started.

Steely Dan raised a hand to his ear, leaning forward.

"Come again?"

Suki stood up slowly, mindful of the pain in her foot.

"I said, that's enough! I'm sick and tired of watching you abuse him like this! If you want a punching bag for all your sadistic pleasures from here on out…"

She made a goading gesture, as though to say, "come at me."

"Then use me! I don't give a damn!"

"Suki…" Jotaro called weakly to her, as Dan laughed.

"Oh? But there's so _much_ I've already had Jotaro do…But, maybe…" He sauntered over to Suki, wrapping an arm across her shoulders and pulling her closer, as she grit her teeth in a grimace, "Maybe _you_ can do _other things…_ "

Out of the corner of her eye, Suki saw Jotaro shift on the ground, clenching his fist tightly as he coughed again. She fixed her expression into infallible determination as she looked back at the man holding her.

"Do your worst."

"Hmm, hmm…I wonder…Will you be so tough for so long…?"

* * *

 **WARNING - If you are NOT okay with reading non-con explicit material, skip this section to the second line, after the one below this warning.**

* * *

The assassin's lips turned up in a malicious grin, as he took his other hand and shoved it roughly into his captive's tank top, slinking under her bra all too quickly as he began to manhandle her breast. Suki sucked in air through her teeth, biting her lip as she clenched her legs together. She felt her stomach turn as he touched her without her consent, as he looked on with a greedy smile.

 _Dammit…Dammit…!_ Suki looked down at Jotaro as she thought. His face was turned away from her, but she could tell that this couldn't be enjoyable for him either, _as long as it doesn't go too much furth-!_

She whimpered, betraying her efforts to stifle her voice, as he shoved his hand into her shorts, rubbing his fingers along her covered sensitive area between her legs. Suki felt her cheeks heat as her heart rate picked up, feeling the fabric of her underwear roughly move against her.

"My, my, it seems like _someone's_ enjoying this…" Dan lilted, sinking his teeth into the shell of her ear.

 _This is…This is so disgusting…But…_ Suki looked down at her friend, _if it means keeping the pain off of him, then…Then, I'll-!_

"A-Ah!" She gasped, Dan's fingers having moved into her underwear, stroking her with nothing in the way.

 _Sh-Shit…!_

* * *

"You're so _sensitive_ …" He drawled, his lips turning up in a nasty grin, "Hmm…You seem like such a virgin…" He looked between the girl on his arm and the man on the ground, "I doubt you two have even kissed yet."

Suki's eyes widened, her emotions and thoughts laid bare, as the enemy Stand user leaned back and laughed.

"Don't tell me…Someone like you hasn't even kissed _anyone_ yet, have you?!"

"I…I…!"

 _Dammit, brain,_ work _!_ Suki thought, her mind in a frenzy, _Stop being so frazzled and tell him you_ have! _If you don't…!_

Steely Dan removed his fingers from the girl's pants, bringing them to his lips and sucking on them lewdly. Taking those fingers out of his mouth, he trailed his hand along the girl's chin, as she visibly tensed.

"It'd certainly be a shame, if someone were to take _that_ from you, Jotaro…"

"B-But you…!"

Dan grinned.

"I never said I would lay off of him, now did I?"

 _Fucker…Damn it all…!_

Suddenly, the small sound of laughter was heard. Dan and Suki looked down to see Jotaro laughing from his place on the ground, as he tried to push himself up on slightly shaking arms.

"Jotaro! What the hell are you laughing about?" The assassin asked, "What's so funny?"

Jotaro chuckled again, rising to one knee.

"I'm laughing in anticipation of the fun that's to come. I had quite a bit to look forward to, even before you sicced those guards on me, even before you started harassing my friend. I'm laughing because I have _much_ more to look forward to now, and I'm excited!"

Suki was surprised to see Jotaro flash his teeth, in the biggest smile she had seen on him so far.

"I'm so excited for the moment when I get to pay you back!"

"Why, you…!"

Steely Dan pushed Jotaro forward with his foot, grinding it into his back.

"No, stop!"

"Don't act like you can order me around, you little bitch!" Dan shouted at the girl, spitting in her face. He then turned to Jotaro, "You seem to misunderstand. Old Man Joestar will die within seconds. That's the reality you're facing."

Despite this comment, Jotaro smiled.

"Nah. You don't know us very well. You don't know Kakyoin."

"What?!"

 _Did…Did he do it…?_

A hole suddenly appeared in Dan's forehead, blood spurting out from it in a fountain. Jotaro finally stood up, tilting his hat over his eyes.

"Well, well, well, well…" The thug turned his head, so Dan only saw one eye glaring at him with a predatory gleam, "That injury means that Kakyoin's on the attack now."

Suki didn't think it possible, but somehow Jotaro's voice lowered, into an even more threatening baritone.

"I wonder if I'll still have my chance at payback once he's done."

Dan stepped back, cowering in fear, releasing his grip on Suki. Seeing her chance, she dashed over to Jotaro's side.

"What's wrong?" Jotaro asked, "Why are you stepping back? You're not going to tell me about what's happening to my grandfather?"

Dan attempted to run, but was stopped by Jotaro grabbing a fistful of his hair, pulling him back. The assassin flailed about in a frenzy, kicking about.

"Hey, hey, hey… What are you so panicked about? Where are you trying to go? You aren't trying to run away, are you? Not after all this…" Jotaro's eyes narrowed.

Dan shrieked as he pulled away, his hair coming off in Jotaro's hand. The student opened his hand, letting the discarded hair fall away as he looked at the man on the ground. Dan quickly assumed a begging position, pressing his forehead to the ground in a plea.

"Please, forgive me, Jotaro, sir! I admit defeat! I'll do anything! I can…"

As Dan babbled on in defeat, Jotaro pulled Suki closer, looking her up and down. He didn't even need to ask her a question, as Suki could see clear concern in his eyes. She smiled, despite her still-frazzled state.

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Hm," Jotaro responded, unconvinced. After a moment of looking at Dan, he turned back to the girl, "Hey, remember that favor I won?"

It had been so long since then, Suki had honestly forgotten.

"Uh, y-yeah…?"

"I want you to play along with something I've got planned."

Seeing the situation they were in, Suki was certain that what the man had planned would take place near immediately. At that moment, she would've jumped at any chance given to her, to get back at this scum of a human being. She grinned mischievously.

"Easy. What is it?"

"Just play along."

The girl quirked an eyebrow at his secretive nature, looking down to see that the assassin was now licking Jotaro's shoe. Suddenly, she heard Star Platinum yell right next to her, as he snatched something that looked like a fly out of the air, directly next to her own ear.

 _That's…!_

The Stand squeezed his thumb and forefinger together a microscopic amount, causing Dan's limbs to spasm as he cried out in pain.

 _So, he was planning to put The Lovers in_ my _ear to get away…_ Suki thought, _if there really_ is _a flesh bud there, then he would have no problem ending my life in a second, if he so willed it, just like Enyaba. He'd make me into a hostage…!_

"I figured you were planning something like this. Don't you know that my Stand, Star Platinum, possesses excellent eyesight and precise reflexes?" Jotaro queried, walking forward, never losing his grip on the girl next to him, "Are you _sure_ you did your research on us?"

Dan fell over pathetically.

"I-I-I'm not planning anything! Your Stand's power…"

"'Your' Stand? Just 'your'?" The thug asked, bringing his free hand to his ear.

"N-No! I-I meant _your majesty's_ Stand is more powerful and more just than any other! I didn't stand a chance, so it came back!" The enemy Stand user wailed pitifully, "P-Please look! That attack broke my arm and my leg! I can't fight anymore! I can't move!"

Star Platinum squeezed his fingers together again, as Dan whined in pain.

 _He's clearly enjoying lording over this guy,_ Suki near found herself laughing, _I'd probably argue against such sadism, if this ass clearly didn't have it coming. Bet he never saw_ this _coming._

"Well…As for what you owe me…I guess I'll take your arm and leg as payment. Actually, something else, too…"

"S-S-Something _else_?!" Dan asked fearfully.

"I'm not the only one you owe something to," Jotaro explained, looking to the girl next to him.

"Hmm…I'm not the type to break a bone or two as payback," Suki said simply, walking past Dan.

"R-Really…?"

The girl turned to Jotaro and jerked her thumb at the man on the ground, then twirled her finger in a circle. Getting the message loud and clear, Jotaro walked over and flipped the assassin over onto his back. Suki loomed over the black-haired man menacingly, as she placed her foot on his crotch. Her expression remained placid as his grew terrified.

"But _this_ part of you _isn't_ bone…is it?"

Dan's eyes widened. She grabbed his collar with one hand, placing the other on her hip, as she leaned closer, lowering her voice to a threatening murmur.

"You better say something, fast. Otherwise, this _bitch_ is about to make you squeal like a pig, and not in the way you'd want her to."

"Y-Y-Yes! I-I'm sorry I forced myself on you like that…" He stammered. Unsatisfied, Suki tightened her grip on his shirt collar, turning her head to the side and putting a hand to her injured right ear.

"Eh? What? You're going to have to speak up," She turned her fiery gaze back to the fallen man as she spat, "After all, you _did_ bite my ear pretty hard. I don't think I can hear too well after what you did."

She dug in her heel on his body, causing him to yelp.

"I-I-I'm so sorry, that I forced myself on _your Grace_ like that! Please, forgive my blasphemous mistake!"

"'Your Grace,' huh…?" She murmured, then shook her head, tightening her grip on his shirt.

"Couldn't you just use your Stand?" The delinquent asked behind her.

The girl closed her eyes, loosening her grip on Dan's shirt. She dropped the man unceremoniously onto the ground and stood, turning to Jotaro with a hand on her chin.

"Hm, maybe…" Placing a hand on her hip, she shot an icy glare over her shoulder at the man on the ground, frozen by her gaze. She spat on the ground to her side, stretching her neck.

"'If you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.' A quote I never understood…" Knight of Cups slithered along the ground from the newly made puddle, harshly grasping the assailant's arms as she crept behind him. He jolted at the feeling of hands on his forearms, looking back in fear, completely defenseless to the girl standing in front of him.

"Where'll your heart and mind go, if I send them into space?"

Suki reeled her foot back and pivoted, bringing her toe into contact with his pelvis with every bit of strength she had…!

The man's eyes rolled back, as a pitiful squeak emitted from his throat.

"Did…Did that kill him?" Jotaro asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Tch," Suki pulled her foot back, shaking it out, as she turned to the man, "I'm no Biology major, but I know _that_ wouldn't have killed him. He probably wants to die, though."

"Pl…ease…" Steely Dan wheezed, "Have…mer…cy…"

"You think we're gonna 'have mercy' just because you asked?" Suki responded, starting forward on one foot. Jotaro walked up beside her and put his arm back across Suki's shoulder, tightening his grip.

 _I got a pretty good kick in…_ Suki thought _, hope that broke those things beyond repair, because I think Jotaro wants me to stop._

"Th-That's all… you wanted, right?" Dan asked from his place on the ground, slowly coming back.

"One more thing," Jotaro said, readjusting his cap, "You said it yourself. It _would_ be a shame for someone to swipe a first kiss from your grasp. After all, how often does that kind of chance come up? Well, I'll tell you right now…"

Suddenly, Suki felt her chin being lifted up and turned with a surprisingly gentle hand as Jotaro firmly pressed his lips to hers.

…

 _He's kissing me…_

…

He's _kissing_ me… _?_

…

 _He's_ kissing _me?!_

 _M-My heart…It feels like it's gonna burst…!_

What felt like nanoseconds after he had begun, Jotaro pulled back with a satisfied grin, as Suki continued to stare at him with wide eyes, a thick blush coating her cheeks.

"…This one's taken."

Dan's expression morphed into one of fear mixed with loss, as Jotaro continued.

"Now then, do you swear that you'll never appear before us again?"

The assassin quickly regained his composure as he spoke again.

"I-I do! I swear! I'll go to some deserted island! I'll go to the ends of the Earth and never come back!"

Jotaro looked down at the man unsympathetically.

"You're not lying, are you? The next time I see you, I'll punch you one thousand times."

Steely Dan bowed on the ground.

"I'm not lying! I'd never lie!"

Star Platinum then loosed his fingers just enough to let The Lovers go free, as Jotaro finally let go of Suki's shoulder. He began to walk away, turning his back on Dan.

"Get out of here," The delinquent then looked at the girl out of the corner of his eye, as he asked her a question, "Are you coming or not?"

 _Am I…?_ Suki was still completely star struck, unable to make sense of her surroundings, _does he…_ want _me to, or something? If…If he_ wants _me to…?_

"Suki."

The girl was snapped violently out of her thoughts by her name being called, as Jotaro looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you going to walk back with me or not?"

 _Oh._ That's _what he meant…?_

She nodded lethargically, as they turned and began to walk back. A few kids ran by, one holding a ball, as they shouted about playing soccer.

"Jotaro!"

The two stopped, as Suki saw Dan pull out a knife.

"You fool! Take a look at that girl over there! My Stand, The Lovers, just went into that girl's ear. He's heading for her brain."

There was a pause, as Jotaro looked back slightly, not quite turning his full attention to his assailant.

"Don't you dare move, Jotaro!"

Steely Dan cackled madly, as he stood up and shuffled over to Jotaro.

"I'm going to stab you in the back with this knife! I'll make sure you never move again! Just try to attack me with your Star Platinum! That girl will surely die! You would never kill such a young child, would you?"

He laughed. Gritting her teeth, Suki slowly reached for the puddle of water she had left further away; however, she was stopped by Jotaro giving her a glance. His gaze told her all she needed to know. The situation was under control. She retracted her hand, as the thug sighed.

"Good grief. Fine, try it," He allowed, turning fully toward Steely Dan.

"Hey! Don't you understand?! I told you not to-" There was a pause, as Dan appeared shocked by something., "-move? Move…" The assassin trembled in such a way, giving the appearance that he had been paralyzed by something, "Huh? Huh?!"

Jotaro took Dan's hand which held the knife by the wrist as he spoke.

"What's the matter? Weren't you going to stab me? Like this?"

He guided the knife back towards his assailant, thrusting the weapon into Dan's cheek. He screamed in pain.

"M-My body won't move! Why?!"

"So you didn't notice?" Jotaro pointed at Dan as he explained, "Kakyoin tied Hierophant's tentacle to your Stand's leg as it escaped. You must be totally oblivious if you didn't realize that…" The expression of her ally grew completely unsympathetic, "…you left a trail all the way here."

The maroon-eyed man fell to his knees.

"Please, forgive me!"

"Ask for forgiveness from Enyaba, the woman you killed. We never had any intention of forgiving you in the first place," Jotaro said, trailing a finger along the brim of his cap, as he walked over to the assassin, kicking up a cloud of dust, as Suki followed close behind.

"D-Dio paid me in advance…I-I'll give you that…" Dan offered through gritted teeth.

Despite her somewhat dazed state, Suki found herself able to grin as she looked at Jotaro, remembering the words he had spoken earlier.

"Hey, Jotaro, didn't you say something earlier? Something about what you'd do if you saw him again?"

Jotaro sighed, directing his gaze to Dan again, "Good grief. You truly are the lowest scum in history. You can't pay back what you owe…

"…with money."

Star Platinum burst from Jotaro's figure, as he rushed forward and laid into Steely Dan with a seemingly endless barrage of fists. Just when Suki thought the Stand was done beating the enemy Stand user up, he came back fiercer and stronger, for about twenty full seconds, she surmised, finally ending by launching Dan into the second floor of a brick building standing nearby, a hole opening in the structure as Dan made contact. A scream was heard from inside the building, a voice other than Dan's. With a small flourish, Jotaro brought out his pen and notebook and wrote one last thing on the page. Suki glanced at the paper wavering slightly in the breeze to see that he had signed his name on the scrap.

"Here's your receipt."

The thug finally let the page escape from his fingers, as he turned and walked off, with Suki following close behind.

"So, that was…uh…"

"Yeah. Thanks for playing along."

 _P-Playing…?_

"I did spring that on you," Jotaro sighed, "but I did really want to stick it to that bastard."

"So…That kiss was…?"

"Part of the act. You don't have to count it."

After a moment, having been turned away from Suki, he shook his head and turned toward her.

"Fuck…No, that was really selfish. Especially after…"

Suki had cast her eyes away, not noticing Jotaro had walked up to her until he was right in front of her. She looked up at him curiously. He slowly brought his hand up, his movement uncharacteristically hesitant, before he brushed her hair behind her ear, revealing the ugly bruise that lay on the thin shell.

"Damn it…Damn _bastard_ …"

Suki saw his eyes light up in anger again, thinking she had seen the last of it, as he bored his eyes into the ground.

 _He was so sure that everything would turn out okay…_ _At least, it seemed that way. He…He knew that everything would be over before Dan got too far, right…? Maybe he was more worried about me, because I still have those injuries Enyaba gave me…_ Suki pondered, _whatever he thought, he sure has a lot hiding under that cold expression he always keeps._

"Jo~ta~ro?"

The man looked up, as she gently took his hand from behind her ear and rested it on her cheek, covering it with her own. With a sincere smile, she spoke quietly.

"I'm sorry," She gazed into his blue eyes, "I didn't know…how much this hurt you. I'm still learning not to ride on my impulses so much, but…" Suki cast her eyes away, blushing as she leaned into his palm, gently grasping his arm with her other hand.

"Could you…help keep me in check?"

Jotaro's eyebrows raised.

"Sorry, I just…" She met his gaze again, "I…trust you. I feel like you can help me learn faster."

The girl finally seemed to realize the intimacy of her actions, as she stepped back, a heavy blush coating her cheeks.

"S-Sorry…"

Her friend readjusted his hat as he sighed, not noticing a small, red tinge in his cheeks.

"It's fine. I'll help."

She smiled.

"Thank you, Jotaro."

"Jotaro! Suki!"

The two turned to see Joseph, Kakyoin, and Polnareff running over to where they stood. As Jotaro walked past Suki to reunite with the group, he shifted his attention to her for a moment.

"Hey."

"Hm?" Suki tilted her head, wondering what he wanted.

"I'm glad you're not too mad about earlier."

Suki smiled sheepishly as he turned back to the group, her upturned lips falling slightly as she stared at the ground in contemplation.

 _I…_

 _I'm not even mad…_

 _I'm just confused._

Chapter Eleven – I Put a Spell On You

-END—

-TO BE CONTINUED-

* * *

 **I swear, not all of the explicit content I have in my story will be this bad. There's gonna be happy sex in my story, so don't you worry about that. That being said, I'm gonna be honest and say that The Lovers arc is my least favorite in the entire JoJo series. I don't know what it is about humiliation or stepping all over someone's pride, but having that happen to someone, and them not being able to do anything to combat that just hurts my soul. The arc would've been painful, regardless of who ended up being Dan's punching bag. All I can say is that asshole got what he deserved, in canon and out of it. On the bright side, this means that the worst is over, and we can move on to less painful, more fun things.**

 **Also, I only just now figured out that the formatting of this site prevents me from making rows of slashes, so the line I've been using to denote time skips will have to do, unless I can find a better way of splicing off explicit content. :/**

 **Hopefully you didn't suffer too much reading this chapter, the next one should definitely be more fun! See you next week!**

 **-BlueBow**


	13. Chapter 12 - Angel Among Us

Chapter Twelve – Angel Among Us

 **WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by a row of slashes (like this /), unlike the time/scene change denoted by a horizontal line (-). You have been warned.**

 **WARNING**

 **There is explicit content in this chapter, thankfully nicer than the explicit content in the last chapter; however, it is followed by a horror scene, of all things. Watch out for that, I'll be denoting the content with a separating line, as usual.**

 **Also, remember how long Chapter 5 was? This is longer than that, believe it or not. Hope you guys don't mind that too much! "^_^**

* * *

It was soon after the group had reunited. Concerned about the possible presence of a flesh bud in Suki's body, Joseph quickly shot a surge of Hamon through her body. Certain that all danger had been dealt with, the party began to walk to the nearest hospital, in order to care for the girl's as-of-yet unattended wounds.

Suki never made it there awake, as the group stopped upon hearing a dull thudding noise behind them. The girl had collapsed to the ground, face-down in the dirt.

"Suki!"

The four men rushed quickly to her side. Joseph turned her over onto her back, gently trying to shake her awake. She refused to respond, no matter how much they called out to her. The rest of her group mates looked at each other with determined expressions, knowing without words that they needed to pick up the pace. As Mr. Joestar carried her to the next destination, Kakyoin, Polnareff, and Jotaro continued to glance at her, willing her to wake up and reassure them that everything was fine.

 _Damn it,_ Jotaro thought, gritting his teeth, _what the hell happened?_

* * *

The silence that followed the Speedwagon doctor coming in and taking a blood sample from Suki was anything but calm. Everyone in the room hoped beyond hope that this was just some form of mental exhaustion. If the cause of her unconsciousness was too debilitating, then they would have no choice but to have her retire from the journey. As they sat in a tense quiet, Jotaro couldn't help but remember her determined words from what seemed like ages ago.

" _I'll take any chance I can get to stop Dio from using the world as a blood-ridden playground!"_

The delinquent sighed and pulled his hat over his eyes.

"Is something wrong, Jotaro?" Kakyoin asked from his side. The honor student had seen few emotions expressed on his fellow student's face, but genuine frustration was not one of them.

A long moment passed, before Jotaro asked a question, slowly.

"Should she fight Dio…?"

"What?" Polnareff asked, clearly surprised by this notion.

Kakyoin's eyebrows raised, as he looked at Jotaro, then back to the girl in contemplation.

"So, I wasn't the only one thinking that…" Joseph mused, putting a hand to his chin.

"You too, Mr. Joestar?" The Frenchman asked, looking at the old man.

"We'll wait until the doctor comes back before we decide if she retires from the journey altogether; however," Mr. Joestar locked eyes with the standing silver-haired man as he spoke, "Whether or not she fares well enough against regular Stand users, Dio is anything but."

"Mr. Joestar is right," Kakyoin started, "Suki was a servant of Dio for a fair while, and she does desire for him to be dispatched from this world, but her first priority has always been finding her brother. Even if we don't find him along the way, the four of us can just as easily prod Dio for answers and give that information to her."

Jotaro leaned back in his seat, folding his arms and closing his eyes in thought.

 _"Tell me something: am I actually useful to you guys?"_

" _Being with this group of guys…it's made me think all of that was a lie. I need to fight to be useful to anyone, to save anyone, and if I can't…Well, now look at me…But, being with them…It's made me realize something else…Even if I can't do my job right…Even if I fuck up beyond all compare…I'm still worth something…"_

" _I just wish I hadn't screwed up again."_

" _Could you…help keep me in check?"_

"She just wants to be useful to us. She _wants_ to fight Dio. She _wants_ to improve. But, at the same time…" Jotaro started, but found he couldn't finish.

"No…" Polnareff finally spoke up, his face determined, "We…We can't let Dio near her. If he got his hands on her, he'd…he would…!" The Frenchman clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms as he refused to speak more about these possibilities.

"Then it's agreed," Joseph spoke, his expression solemn, "She won't be accompanying us to fight Dio, at the very least."

 _She's not going to be happy about this, when she wakes up,_ Jotaro sighed as he thought, _damn it…I wish it didn't have to be like this._

The doctor opened the door and walked in, a signal for the four men to leave the room.

"We'll need to tend those injuries in her forearm and foot," The doctor explained, casting his eyes to his clipboard, "She'll also need to be cleaned up. Her body is covered in unsanitary chemicals. It's almost as if she took a bath in a sewer, or some such. We'll discuss this once she regains consciousness."

Jotaro cast his eyes away, as the rest of the group got up to leave the room. After a moment, he followed.

* * *

Suki's eyes slowly opened to the dim lighting of the hospital room. She blinked blearily, turning her head to look at the rest of the room.

"Ah, you're awake."

She turned to her left to see a doctor washing his hands at the sink in the corner of the room. The girl unwittingly tensed. Seeing this, the physician chuckled.

"It's quite all right, Miss Kanao. Everything has been taken care of. I must say, though," He locked eyes with her as he spoke, "You certainly gave your allies a scare with that fainting spell."

 _I…fainted…?_ Suki held her head in one hand, unable to deny a lingering dizziness, _and right after that chaos with Steely Dan, too…_

"I apologize for doing this just after you've woken up, but I'll need to ask you some questions," The doctor expressed, pulling up a chair to the bed and unclipping his pencil from the clipboard he held, "Tell me, have you had a weak and rapid pulse?"

She shook her head.

"Cold, clammy skin?"

Another head shake.

"Rapid, shallow breathing?"

Suki thought for a moment before shaking her head once more.

"Confusion?"

"Confusion, like…" Suki tilted her head, "Being confused how a Stand works?"

"Confusion, as in not having a firm grasp on your surroundings."

"Then, no."

"It doesn't appear to be _extreme_ hypotension, considering you haven't experienced symptoms leading to shock…" The doctor murmured, writing notes on his clipboard.

The physician followed up with questions about prior fainting spells, blurred vision, dizziness and lightheadedness, and nausea. Suki had paused slightly on nausea, but explained that the smell of dead bodies made her feel ill. She also remembered feeling nauseous earlier that day, but chose to attribute that to an omen rather than a biological cause. The doctor merely blinked, but did not pry further.

"Have you been experiencing fatigue or lack of concentration?"

Suki hesitated, thinking back through the past few days.

"Y-Yes…"

"I see…" The physician wrote this down, before turning the clipboard over in his lap and leaning forward, "Miss Kanao, I was unsure if you would have been comfortable with the others knowing about your condition, so I chose to respect your privacy. That, and I wanted to make sure that I knew exactly how severe your condition was," He smiled, "Thankfully, it appears to be easily treatable."

"Condition…?"

The man's smile fell.

"Surely some doctor before me _must_ have pointed this out to you…?"

"I-I don't…" Suki rubbed her elbow as she lost confidence in her voice, "Visit the doctor much…"

The doctor sighed.

"In any event, it is important that we tend to your anemia sooner rather than later."

"Anemia…?"

She vaguely remembered her mother teaching her about common medical conditions.

"That means…I have a low red-blood cell count, right?"

The doctor nodded.

"The condition is mainly caused by one of three factors: destruction of red blood cells, decreased or faulty red blood cell production, or loss of blood," He looked at his notes as he continued, "Your blood work shows that you have a folic acid deficiency. That, on its own, _does_ lead to the second factor, but considering this is the first you've been told of your anemia, I do believe it didn't start taking hold of your body until you began losing blood. Anemia can lead to low blood pressure, and that, in turn, can lead to temporary fainting spells."

"So, how do I treat it?" Suki asked, sitting up in bed.

"Include more vegetables in your diet, eat healthier in general. We could also prescribe some folic acid tablets, but it may take a few days for your body to be in a stable enough condition to continue on your journey with little consequence."

"Isn't…Isn't there a faster way…?"

"We… _could_ perform a blood transfusion, and give you the red blood cells you need. However, this method is more expensive, and it's only a temporary solution, given that there is a problem with the production of red blood cells in your body," The doctor folded his arms and sat back in his chair, "You're welcome to continue on, taking my advice, improving your diet and taking the tablets, but I would not recommend this option, considering how dangerous this journey has proven to be for you all."

Suki bowed her head in thought.

 _He's still giving me a choice…_ Suki wrapped her arms around her figure as she thought, _do I just take the tablets and run, but risk my own safety? Or do I tell them about the anemia, allowing myself to recover in a more stable environment, but risk staying back?_

 _No…_ Suki shook her head, _it's not just_ my _safety that I would be risking._

"Could you…let them in?" Suki asked tepidly. The physician nodded, standing and opening the door. He leaned out into the hallway, catching the attention of a passing nurse, and asked her to bring Mr. Joestar and his group in. As she calmly waited for her friends to arrive, Suki removed her star pendant from underneath her shirt, tracing its soft edges with her thumb. Whenever her eyes fell upon the softly glowing star, she was always reminded of that day. The day that felt not so long ago.

She narrowed her eyes.

 _Whatever happens…I_ will _find you…Kyuu._

The day she had fallen for her brother.

* * *

It had started like any other day. Evidence of rain from the night before still lay in strewn-about puddles across the suburb. Suki was merely walking home from spending time with Minaj, but a pair of shady teenagers stopped her. Knowing she wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, she walked past them, ignoring them. The two males continued to follow her. As her panic rose, she began to pick up speed, breaking out into a run as they followed close behind.

She turned a corner, running into an alleyway, screeching to a halt at the sight of a tall wall in front of her, much too large for someone like her to climb. The little girl turned to see the two older boys approaching her, as she curled up into a ball and began to cry. She only heard dull voices asking what to do with her, before she heard one of the thugs grunt in pain. Looking up, she saw someone had come to rescue her, tackling one of the teenagers to the ground.

It was Kyuu.

"Why you-!" The other teenager rushed over and attempted to grapple with Kyuu. Using this opportunity to get Suki's attention, her brother turned his head to her.

"Suki! Get out of here, while you-!" He wheezed, as the teenager he was grappling reeled his arm back and crashed his arm into Kyuu's gut. Stepping back, Kyuu fell to his knees, a trickle of blood falling from his lips as he looked at his sister.

"Run…Please…!"

The first teenager recovered from being tackled and stood up, walking over and kicking Kyuu in the head. The boy yelped, falling to the ground, as the second teenager crouched beside him.

"What's the matter?" He snarled, grabbing a fistful of Kyuu's hair and yanking him up, "Lost your fight _already_?!" He slammed his head into the dirt, as Kyuu gritted his teeth in pain. Suki could only look on in horror as they abused her brother.

"Stop…Please…"

They ignored her pleas and continued to kick and punch Kyuu to their heart's content. Feeling her blood reach a boiling point, Suki rose to her feet, clenching her fists and screaming in determination.

"I said _stop it_!"

With a burst of pure spiritual energy, a watery figure cloaked in more water emerged from the girl. A long, flowing water cloak hung over the spirit, the sleeves and shawl much too big for her, as they dangled over where her hands would be, and draped around where her feet would be. The wraith flicked her head back, pushing the hood of the cloak to her shoulders, exposing the face, shaped somewhat like a candle's ember, with eyes that seemed to glow a ghostly white.

The water from a nearby puddle flowed into Suki's hand quickly, forming a sword, as she rushed forward and slashed the back of one of her brother's assailants. He screeched in pain, as he stopped his assault and turned to the small girl.

"What…What the hell?!"

She slashed again, this time at the teenager's shin. Losing his balance because of the pain, the teenager fell to the ground, trying to scramble away from the girl with a weapon.

"What _is_ that?!"

"I don't know, man, but I think she's trying to kill us!"

"Come on, let's go!"

The two teenagers scurried out of the alley, leaving the tearful girl and her brother behind. Dispelling her weapon into a vapor, Suki fell to her knees next to her sibling, struggling as she held his abdomen up in her arms.

"Big Bro, are you okay?!"

Kyuu coughed.

"You…You did it, Sis…"

"Huh?" Suki tilted her head, "What did I do?"

"You summoned…your Stand."

"My…Stand…?"

"Yeah," Kyuu closed his eyes, and, from nowhere, a small swarm of bees phased into view next to him. Suki flinched at the sight, as Kyuu chuckled.

"Relax, Suki. This is _my_ Stand, A Taste of Honey."

"Why do you call it-!"

Before her very eyes, the bees began to flit close to Kyuu's wounds, spreading honey over them. Soon enough, any trace that he had been injured vanished, as the boy carefully stood up, stretching his arms above his head. He winced slightly, noticing the pain hadn't completely dissipated from his body.

"A Stand is a powerful image created by your life force. It will always stand by your side, no matter what happens. That's why they're called Stands," Kyuu smiled, as he held out his hand, the bees coming to rest along his open palm, "Not everyone has them though, so the people who _do_ have them have to keep them secret, and use them responsibly."

"Wow…" Suki put her hands on either side of her face in wonder, "So, can _my_ Stand heal people, too?"

"Well, I'm not sure," Kyuu admitted, putting a hand to his chin, "We would have to experiment a bit. Even so, now that you have a Stand, do you know what that means?"

"What does it mean?"

Kyuu lowered himself to a knee and put his hands on his sister's shoulders, his eyes glinting with a fiery determination.

"We can fight like _real knights_ , now. Now that we both have Stands, I can watch your back, and you can watch mine."

Suki's eyes lit up.

"R-Really?!"

"Really," Kyuu smiled gently, as he looked to the small watery ghost hovering beside the girl. The Stand tilted her head to the side in curiosity, as the brother put his hand to his chin.

"We should think of a name to give your Stand first."

"My Stand gets a cool name, too?" Suki asked, her smile growing.

"Of course, it does."

"Hmm…" Suki thought, turning from her brother to look her Stand up and down. The watery spirit appeared to be unresponsive to this examination, "Maybe…Knight…something…or something-Knight…"

"Knight of Cups?"

"Huh?" The girl looked at her brother with a questioning gaze, "Why 'of Cups'?"

"You know…how Mom has been going to see that fortune teller lately? Well, a couple of days ago, I saw her reading this book that she had picked up about Tarot cards, and asked if I could borrow it. Let me see…" The boy reached into the pockets of his pants. He pulled his hand out upon his fingers wrapping around a small, handheld book, holding what he had found out to his little sister. She accepted the booklet with a meek smile and started flipping through the pages.

"Look in the minor arcana section."

"Ah, here! Suit of Cups…"

 _In the cards of the Tarot, the suit of cups is representative of the element of water. Dealing with the emotional level of consciousness, associated with feelings, love, connections, and relationships, Cups Tarot cards indicate that one is thinking with the heart rather than the head, reflecting a penchant for spontaneous responses and habitual reactions to situations. Specifically, the Knight represents charm, romance, imagination, and the idea of a 'knight in shining armor' in its upright position, while, when reversed, it represents an unrealistic nature, jealousy, and/or moodiness._

"Knight of Cups… I think it sounds good, but…" Suki looked from the book over to her Stand, "What about you?"

Kyuu quirked an eyebrow at his sister.

"Suki, your Stand is your fighting spirit, _your_ will. Remember?"

"I-I remember…" Suki fiddled with the hem of her shirt as she gazed at the ground, "But, she's always supposed to stand by my side, right?" She looked up into the white eyes of her Stand as she smiled, "She can't just be a tool for me to use."

Suki stuck her right hand out to her new friend.

"It's nice to meet you…Knight of Cups."

The Stand floated there in silence, staring at her user's hand with a quizzical expression. The girl giggled.

"Silly, you're supposed to shake my hand! Here…"

She took Knight's right hand with her own and shook her hand slowly, keeping eye contact with the spirit for the duration. After a moment, Suki let go of her Stand's hand, letting her own fall to her side.

"There. See?"

Knight of Cups tilted her head as she looked at Suki. Finally seeming to react, Knight raised her sleeved right hand in front of her face and turned it slowly, back and forth, before reaching over to Suki's left hand and grasping it, shaking it just like her own user had done to her.

"We'll…We'll work on that…" Suki smiled sheepishly, as she turned to her brother.

"Shall we go, then?" Kyuu asked with a smile.

"Uhm, well…" The little girl clasped her hands and twiddled her thumbs before speaking up again, "Thank you…for saving me, earlier."

Kyuu chuckled.

"Suki, that was all you. You're the one who chased those thugs off, remember?"

"U-Uh, yeah, I guess so…" Suki murmured, scratching her cheek.

Suddenly, her brother dropped to one knee again and pulled her into a hug, as she blushed.

"I am glad I was able to help you awaken your Stand, though," He pulled back, looking into his sister's eyes.

"From now on, you can be my knight. And I will be yours. Does that sound good?"

Suki's eyes gleamed, as her cheeks flared up. She nodded happily.

"Yeah. Let's do it, Kyuu!"

* * *

 _What happened…What changed…?_ Suki asked inwardly, _did I just…grow up?_

The girl turned her gaze up to the ceiling, as she replaced the necklace under her shirt.

 _I just hope…he won't be too mad at me for going back on that promise…_

A knock was heard at the door.

"Come in," Suki allowed.

The nurse opened the door and allowed Joseph, Jotaro, Kakyoin, and Polnareff to file into the room. She greeted them with as warm a smile as she could muster, but they only exchanged concerned glances.

"You okay?" Polnareff asked, sitting right beside her bed.

"I'm fine…But I wanted to talk to you all about it," She admitted, locking eyes with each of her allies.

They all nodded at her. She then explained her condition to the group, and the possible solutions to this condition, without skipping details.

"Anemia, huh…" Joseph mused, scratching his beard, "And our options for getting you out of this hospital are a blood transfusion, tablets, a diet change, or some combination of the three. Does that sound about right?"

The girl nodded. Mr. Joestar then looked to the rest of the group, before releasing a sigh.

"Suki, we've come to a decision," He locked eyes with her as he spoke, "We believe it would be best for you to not fight Dio."

The girl gripped the sheets in tight fists, as she stared down at her lap. The others looked at each other in turn, before she finally spoke up.

"Okay."

The room was silent.

"Did…Did you just say 'okay'?" Joseph asked.

"Dio's done nothing but spread suffering wherever he's gone. I…I want to help bring an end to his reign of terror. But, if my sitting out will help you all fight as hard as you can…Then, I'll do it."

 _Jotaro's reaction to what happened to me…Everyone's fright at my fainting…They all…worry about me…_ Suki thought, _if I dispel that worry, then they can fight harder against Dio._

"I'm getting you as close to his lair as possible, though, you hear? And, I can't…" Suki held out her right forearm, putting her hand on her elbow, "I can't do that without taking care of myself. Please, Mr. Joestar, I _will_ pay you back for it, but can you help me? Please?"

The group exchanged looks once more, all contemplating the idea. After what felt like hours, Joseph spoke up.

"All right, if that's what you want," Suki's eyes widened, as Mr. Joestar shifted his attention to the doctor, "Doctor-"

"I'll get that set up right now!" The Speedwagon doctor hurriedly left the room, leaving the girl alone with the four men.

"You…really mean that, Mr. Joestar?" The girl asked.

"Knowing you, you would probably follow us anyway."

"Considering how much she hates hospitals, I wouldn't be surprised," Jotaro muttered, pulling his hat down.

"That's not it…"

The group looked at her, as she stared at the sheets fisted in her hands.

"If you all are worried about me falling into Dio's hands, that worry will just distract you. I don't…" Suki placed a hand on her chest as she spoke passionately, "I don't want you to get hurt because of me!"

A small moment of quiet passed before she spoke once more.

"I want to get stronger, smarter, and more careful, so I can support you guys, like you've been supporting me. I'd be better able to do that if I weren't cooped up in a hospital, but…" Suki continued without casting her eyes away, "If you would feel more secure letting me recover here…Then…that's…fine…"

Her last words came out almost strangled.

"Be our support, then."

Suki's eyes widened as she looked to the source of the voice.

 _Jotaro_.

"There have been many times where your assistance has helped fights go smoother," Kakyoin added.

"You're strong, there's no question," Polnareff chimed in with a smile.

"We just need to work on you being 'smarter' and 'more careful'," Mr. Joestar expressed, grinning, "You've definitely got the potential for it, though."

Suki looked at each one of her teammates in turn, locking eyes with each of them. After a moment, she spoke quietly.

"Thank you. I'll do my best."

"What was that? I couldn't hear you," Joseph spoke, putting a hand up to his ear.

"I said I'll do my best!" Suki raised her voice, just as the doctor walked back in with the unit of blood and IV drip, accompanied by a nurse. He blinked, and then continued into the room, setting up the IV.

"This shouldn't take longer than an hour," The physician assured.

"Right. Well," Joseph looked to the door, "We'll need to check when we can catch a boat to Abu Dhabi," The old man looked between each person in the room, his eyes eventually falling on his grandson, "Jotaro, do you mind going with me?"

The thug only sighed and got up, glancing at Suki briefly before leaving the room without a word.

"We'll be back as soon as you're finished," Mr. Joestar smiled as he followed Jotaro out of the room.

Suki swallowed thickly, upon seeing the doctor walk back in. The physician smiled knowingly at her, causing the girl to cast her eyes away.

"Please, relax, Miss Kanao. Mr. Joestar wouldn't have put you in my care if he didn't trust me."

"Y-Yeah…"

"We'll be right here as well, so there's no need to worry," Kakyoin reassured.

"You're perfectly safe, so don't even worry!" Polnareff expressed, gently grasping her hand.

 _I'm a little embarrassed. They must've told everyone how scared I am of hospitals…_ Suki thought, _but, I do feel better, knowing they're trying to help._

"Didn't I just say she didn't need to worry?" Kakyoin asked, his eyes darting to Polnareff in a bothered expression.

"I was just making sure she got the message loud and clear!" The Frenchman smiled as he spoke.

"So, you're underestimating her intelligence," the honor student asserted, folding his arms.

"That's not it at all!"

 _Back to this again, I guess_ , Suki thought, smiling sheepishly at her friends' antics.

Turning to her left, she saw that the doctor had left, leaving the nurse to watch over her as the IV needle slowly pumped blood into her body. Suki tensed at the sight of the needle, taking a deep breath and turning to her right to look at the two men.

"C-Could we talk about something? Distract me," Suki asked weakly.

"Well, how about-"

"Ah, we could study. It has been a couple of days since we've done so," Kakyoin mused, twirling his stray strand of hair.

"Aw, come on, she's laid up in a hospital bed. I doubt she wants to drill herself right now," Polnareff shot back, leaning back in his chair.

Kakyoin then turned to Suki.

"What do you think, Suki?"

"S-Sure!"

Kakyoin's eyes lit up as she agreed. He pulled out a small stack of notecards from his pocket, and looked to the silver-haired man beside him.

"Would you mind terribly swapping seats with me?"

"Why do I have to move?"

"I'd prefer to be next to my student, so I can easily lend a hand if she gets stuck."

"Well, don't mind me," Polnareff muttered, "I don't know how studies are supposed to help calm her down, though."

"What was that?"

"Polnareff, it's fine, really," Suki gave his hand a small squeeze, "I like studying with Kakyoin."

The Frenchman looked at her for a moment before sighing.

"All right. I'll be right back," He patted the girl's hand before standing and walking out of the room. Kakyoin turned to the door as Polnareff exited.

"Don't get lost."

"Shut up."

The door closed as Kakyoin sat back down, his lips turning up in a gentle smile as they began to go over vocabulary once more.

* * *

"We're back," Joseph announced, opening the door after knocking, Jotaro walking in right behind him.

"Perfect timing! They just got done with the transfusion," Polnareff responded, looking to Suki as she rubbed her now bandaged wrist, "Hey, hey, the bandages don't come off till later, remember?"

"I remember!" The girl replied.

"How are you feeling? Ready to go?" Mr. Joestar asked, walking up to the bed.

Suki nodded.

"Sure am! And, thank you again, for doing this."

"It's no problem. You're a valuable ally, and we don't want to lose you," The old man spoke determinedly, as the girl's eyes glittered. Turning to the rest of the group, he explained, "We can head out on the boat tonight, so let's get going!"

With that, Joseph led the way out of the room, followed by Jotaro and Kakyoin, with Polnareff and Suki pulling up the rear. The girl sighed quietly as they exited the building.

"I guess you _didn't_ want to study after all?" Polnareff murmured, careful to keep the others from hearing.

"I-It's not that I don't _want_ to study…"

"But…?"

"But, I kind of just want to have a regular conversation with him. I want to talk with him more, but I can't turn him down when he gets all excited like that."

"Hmm, sounds like someone's got a little crush…" Polnareff lilted.

"N-No way, it's not like that! Not with him!" Suki whispered aggressively, her cheeks flaring up.

"Then who is it like that with?"

"Wha…?"

"You said 'not with him,' so it must be like that with someone else, right?" He grinned mischievously.

"You're making assumptions…" Suki warned.

"But, I'm right, aren't I?"

"You…You…!" Suki folded her arms and cast her eyes away, "Gossip-monger…"

"I bet I can guess who it is, too."

"No, stop this," Suki crossed her arms into an "X" in front of her chest, a clear sign to stop.

"Relax, I'm just teasing," Polnareff admitted, snickering.

"Nngh…" The girl pouted.

"But back to what you were worried about…Why don't you just ask if you can have a regular conversation?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking of doing that. It's hard to say 'no' to that face, though…"

"Well, you've gotta be assertive, tell him what you want. Life is about more than just one person."

Suki blinked.

"Wow, that was actually useful advice. Thank you."

"All in a day's work for-" Polnareff seemed to process Suki's whole statement at that moment, as he clenched a fist, "Wait, what do you mean 'actually'?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Suki spoke dismissively, casting her eyes away and clasping her hands behind her back. She then turned to Polnareff and grinned impishly.

"Why, you little-!" He said with a laugh.

"Hey, you two!" Joseph called out.

As the two had chatted, the group had already reached the docks, climbing onto the modest ship in front of them.

"You coming or not?" The old man asked.

Polnareff and Suki turned to each other and nodded, boarding the boat just as the sun went down.

Unfortunately, there were only four beds in the sleeping hold, but Suki agreed that, since she was the smallest, it would make the most sense for her to sleep on the couch in the corner of the room. Without further delay, physically and emotionally exhausted from the day, Suki collapsed onto the sofa without fanfare, falling into a deep, dreamy sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

The familiar walls of Suki's room greeted her, when she opened her eyes. She couldn't make out details, but just by the atmosphere and layout, she could tell that this room had been the last thing she had seen before bed and the first thing she had seen in the morning for years. The girl sat on her bed in her white tank top and khaki shorts, cross-legged, dazedly staring at the sheets.

"Who am I waiting for?" was the question that sprung into her mind. This thought seemed to be answered by a knock on the door. Lazily leveling her gaze with the door, Suki saw a man walk in.

She recognized this man.

The man wore a long, black trenchcoat, adorned with a chain on one side that clinked quietly as he walked. Black pants with two colorful, zig-zag patterned belts and a gray tank top were obscured by this coat from the side. A black, ripped hat sat atop his head, the brim pulled low. The man's piercing blue eyes shifted to the side, staring at the girl on the bed. A name passed her lips.

"Jotaro…"

Jotaro walked up to her bed slowly, taking his time. The only sounds were his lonely footsteps and the jangling of his chain. He stood over the bed, looming over the girl, as she lackadaisically swung her gaze to look up at him. Reaching out, he placed his hand on her head, allowing his fingers to drift slowly over the top, down the side, past her cheek, down to her chin, lifting it with a crooked finger. He leaned forward.

And he waited.

"What are you…going to do…?" Suki asked.

"You want this, right?"

"…I-Is that why…you're here?"

"Why else would I be in your room?"

Suki couldn't think of many other possible reasons. She simply stared into the blue eyes of her friend. The friend that, maybe, she wanted to go further with…

"Kiss me," She muttered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

The man obliged, pressing his lips firmly to hers.

* * *

 **WARNING - If you are NOT okay with reading explicit material, skip this section to the second line, after the one below this warning.**

* * *

His lips were warm, but somewhat chapped. The girl tilted her head, deepening the liplock, as he moved onto the bed, over her. She leaned back, letting her spine touch the covers, as he straddled her body, never once disconnecting their mouths. Jotaro gently nibbled on Suki's lower lip.

"A-Ah…" She opened her mouth at the sensation, allowing him to push his tongue into her mouth, "Mmm, mmph."

He slid his tongue over and under hers, coaxing out muffled moans and mewls, as he brought his knee up and rubbed at her covered core. She jolted at the first touch, separating from the kiss to watch him rut his knee into her, panting as she rested her forehead against his.

"Hmph, you're so _needy_ …" Jotaro drawled, his eyes hazy with lust.

"What…gave you that idea…?" Suki murmured between pants.

"Well, for a start," He gently slid his hand underneath her bottom layers, causing the girl to yelp as he stroked her. She quivered as he removed his fingers, pulling them out and allowing her to see them coated in her glistening fluid.

"You're already drenched. Just from kissing, huh?"

"Sh-Shut up…" Suki muttered, casting her eyes away, her face heating even more.

Her gaze shot back as she saw Jotaro insert one finger at a time into his mouth, licking each one clean, making full eye contact as he committed this lewd act. Suki swallowed thickly at the sight.

"Take your clothes off."

The girl nodded limply and stood, pulling her pants and underwear down in one fluid motion, her shirt and bra quickly following. Not willing to wait any longer, the man shoved her back onto the bed. About to voice a retort, Suki gulped upon seeing him unbuckling his belts and pulling his own pants and underwear down just enough to let his own manhood spring out. As Jotaro lined himself up, the girl smirked.

"Why don't you…take _everything_ off…?"

He leaned forward, breathing hotly against her neck, as she whimpered.

"Can't wait…Can you?"

It didn't take even a second of thought.

"No, I can't."

The man smirked against her skin as he pushed inside of her. There was virtually no time spent to adjusting, as he began to create a steady rhythm of rocking his hips into hers. The bed squeaked disapprovingly under their weight, as the girl was pounded mercilessly into it. Jotaro grasped the sheets under her with white-knuckled fists, grunting and groaning as he was encased in her tight heat, his eyes closed and brow furrowed in concentration.

"So good…So good…You're so…so big…" Suki babbled near incoherently, her words interrupted by her own moans. She moved one hand to Jotaro's face, rubbing over the pronounced cheekbone with her thumb. He opened his eyes at the contact, his gaze clouded as he stared into her eyes.

"Kiss me…?" The girl requested.

The man's hips seemed to snap into hers even faster, as he planted his lips on hers once more, reaching for a steadily approaching climax. The girl screamed against his mouth, finally reaching her release. Jotaro pulled back from the liplock, a trail of saliva following, as he thrust into her twice more before letting his hot load pour into her.

* * *

 **WARNING - If you are NOT okay with reading horrific displays of gore, skip to the next line.**

* * *

The two slowly caught their breath. Hunched over her fatigued figure, Jotaro cupped the girl's cheek with one hand, looking into her eyes as he smiled at her.

"Suki, I-!"

His body suddenly jolted, the life that once rested in his cool blue eyes fading all at once.

"Jo…Jotaro…?"

The man fell forward. With every inch of her skin exposed, Suki could feel it with every nerve ending, the cold that took over his once warm body.

"Ah…ahh…"

The girl couldn't form words. She knew she hadn't seen anyone walk in, nor had she heard anyone.

Suddenly, a slicing sound pierced Suki's ears. The girl felt she could move his body with little resistance, trying desperately to shake him awake, turning him over onto his back. The irises she had found so admiring had grown blank and dark, as Jotaro's mouth hung agape, as he was unable to finish his last words.

"Jotaro, come on, don't do this to me. You're…You're okay, right? Come on, say something…!"

Standing from the bed, Suki realized all too late that the full feeling she had experienced earlier was still present, despite the fact that Jotaro had just fallen to the side of her, and, sitting where his manhood once was…was…

"Oh…O-Oh God…!" Suki held her head in her hands as she felt the distinct sensation of _something_ being pulled out of her by gravity.

"Ahh…Ahh-!" About to loose an agonized scream, finally finding her voice, Suki felt a hand on her shoulder, as another hand went down to her sensitive area and held the slowly-descending object in.

 _These…These hands…_

Looking down at the hand placed lower on her body, she saw it was a left hand, missing a ring finger, a bloody stump sitting in its place.

"Hmm, what to do with _you_ …?" A voice she slightly recognized drawled, cackling.

"What indeed, what _indeed_ …?" The voice of an elderly woman joined in.

When she looked up, Suki saw two figures, two she recognized all too well.

On the left stood the puppet from the hotel in Singapore, controlled by The Devil, and on the right stood Enyaba.

All at once, she remembered their threats, their malicious promises of what they would do if they had won. Finding no strength to struggle with, her voice shook in fear.

"N-No…You all…You all are dead…!" She directed her voice to the assailant behind her, only barely able to turn her head, "Jotaro…He said he took care of you!"

"Not well enough. Not well enough _indeed_ ," On the last word, he pushed his left hand up, causing Suki to gasp.

"Well, now that _he's_ out of the picture…" The man trailed his right hand along her shoulders, as he came around to her front, keeping his left hand in place. Suki was finally able to see their assailant's face, as the man gave the girl a slimy grin.

"It's _our_ turn to have some fun with you…"

It was Steely Dan.

* * *

Suki gasped as her eyes flew open wide.

"Jota-!" She cried out, sitting up with a start.

Looking around the dark room as she tried to steady her breathing, her slowly adjusting eyes recognized the silhouettes of her four other teammates lying in their beds. Standing up, she discovered that she no longer had that full feeling from when she was in the dream. Almost too scared to, Suki took one hand and placed it on her sensitive area, checking to see if anything was there.

Nothing was there, much to her relief.

Unwilling to celebrate yet, she crept over to Jotaro's bed, where the thug was sleeping soundly. She gently rested her head on his chest, hearing the sound of his heart beat back at her.

 _Okay…Calm down…Calm_ down…Suki thought, _Dan didn't…He didn't come and kill Jotaro, and he didn't…He didn't cut off his dick and…and leave it…_

The girl put a hand to her mouth, as tears began to spill out of her eyes, a stifled sob passing her lips.

"Thank God…Thank God…!"

"Nngh…?" Jotaro cracked his eyes open. After a moment, he turned his head to the girl sitting on the floor.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you…"

Jotaro narrowed his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing up?"

"I had a nightmare…You…You died in it…"

The man's eyebrows raised.

"Well, that sounds like a dream to me," He stated plainly.

"He…uhm…he took…" She pointed at his crotch.

He cast his eyes between the area she was pointing at and her.

"It's…still there, right?"

"I think I would notice if it was gone."

"Okay, thank God…" Suki sighed, "That dream felt so real, though…I pride myself on my own knowledge of dreams, but why was that dream so lucid…?"

"Pride yourself, huh? Are you an analyst or something?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Suki said with a small smile, "Anyway, sorry to wake you."

"Hey."

"Hm?" The girl tilted her head. There was a small pause before Jotaro spoke up again.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Suki genuinely pondered this question. After a moment, she answered.

"I'm fine. I'll just listen to my music box and head back to sleep. Now, go back to sleep."

After a moment, the man sighed.

"Don't…Don't tell me what to do…" Jotaro grumbled, turning onto his other side as he pulled the covers closer to his body.

Suki smiled, as she silently tiptoed back to the door, opening it and closing it behind her with the utmost care, completely unaware of the other person lying awake.

* * *

Reaching the deck, Suki stretched and sat down on a bench near the side of the deck, setting her satchel down beside her, looking up at the sky. The starry expanse seemed to stretch even further than normal, across the watery horizon, completely isolated from the lights of cities that would dull the brightness of its occupants. Each star seemed to have its own distinct way of glowing at the onlooker, a mere ant to the spectacle of shining lights above her.

Pulling her music box out from underneath her shirt and turning the knob gently, a quiet tune began to play, as the girl willed herself to relax. She turned her eyes upward just in time to see a shooting star streak across the sky. Snapping her hand out, she formed a fist to catch the star. The light passed her hand unaffected, continuing on its journey.

 _I missed…_

Looking back down at the music box, Suki felt herself become increasingly frustrated.

"Why…Why isn't it working…?" Her grip tightened on the necklace, as she shook her head, "I'm supposed to calm down, so why can't I…?"

 _I…I feel so sick…_ Suki dropped her head into her hands, digging her fingertips into her own scalp, _all he did was touch me. He's worthless, nothing. So…So why am I so worked up…?!_

"Suki?"

"Ah!" Suki jumped slightly, turning to the door of the deck to see that someone had followed her.

"Kakyoin…"

"It's much too early to be awake," The student stated, tilting his head, "Is something the matter?"

 _I…don't want to worry him_.

She shook her head.

"Nope, I'm fine!"

Walking further out on the deck, Kakyoin looked up at the sky contemplatively.

"It certainly is nice out here," Turning to the girl, he asked, "Do you mind if I join you for a spell?"

"Uh, s-sure! Go ahead."

Suki crossed her legs as Kakyoin sat down on the other side of the bench. Both awake, unable to return to the land of slumber, Suki decided this could be the opportunity she had been waiting for.

"Uhm, do you wanna talk about something?"

The man smiled.

"We could study again, if you want to."

Suki folded her arms and sighed.

"Enough with the studies, Kakyoin. Can't we just relax and chat?"

There was a pause, as the girl looked at the honor student, who seemed shocked by her words. Realizing the impact of her words, Suki clasped her hands together and bowed her head.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-!"

"It's fine. What do you want to talk about?" He asked. Though he himself may not have noticed, Suki caught on to the fact that his voice was tense, like a taut string.

"If you're not comfortable doing that, we don't have to…"

Kakyoin sighed, leaning forward and propping his head up with his hand, his elbow on his knee, as he looked out to the horizon.

"Tell me, Suki, how do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How is it that you can talk with others, without fear of running out of things to talk about?"

Suki tilted her head.

"I'm confused. What do you mean?"

"It's something I've noticed, watching other people talk with their friends," Kakyoin brought his free hand up and tugged at his stray strand of hair, fiddling with it as he spoke, "They never seem to run out of topics for conversation, despite the fact that there are only so many topics in the world, and, even then, there's no way one could know all of them, unless he or she devoted his or her life to the craft. Even _then_ , there's no guarantee that he or she would be able to retain all of that information. I want to make the most of my library of topics. I want to make sure it lasts with you and with the others in the group."

 _That's why he was uncomfortable…_ The girl thought. Looking at the man, then joining her gaze with his, she brought her legs up and crossed them on the bench, holding her head in both hands, her elbows propped on her legs.

"I'll tell you how I do it. I don't think about it."

"You…You don't?"

"Nope. Sure, there may be a finite number of things to talk about in the world right this second, but we're growing all the time. I mean, there are things in the world today that you couldn't talk about with people from five years ago, and the number of topics just keeps increasing as we keep making changes to our own lives, as big as launching a rocket, or as small as spilling coffee. For better or for worse, we're…constantly changing, and experiencing new things. So, I'm not afraid of running out of things to talk about," Suki folded her arms and closed her eyes, a contented smile on her face, "That's something I've learned on this journey. Even if we don't want it to, change will keep coming toward us. How we deal with that change will determine the way our lives roll on."

Turning her gaze back to the honor student, she saw that he was staring at her with wide gleaming eyes. She smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound preachy. That's just how I feel."

He nodded slowly, sitting up straighter. The two stared at the colossal watery expanse, nothing but the sound of the waves crashing against the vessel reaching their ears.

"Are you…certain you're alright, Suki?"

"I told you, I'm fine. What's making you so unsure?"

"…I heard you crying."

Suki cast her eyes to the wooden deck.

"Ah…You…heard me, then?"

"I will not pry further than you wish; however, I would like you to know this," Kakyoin turned to the girl and put a hand on his chest, "I hope that I can be someone who you feel you can tell anything to. I will always be willing to listen to you."

…

"Where did…this come from…?"

…

"Ah, sorry, that was really rude!" Suki waved her hands dismissively, as she scratched the back of her neck in embarrassment, "Jeez, I sure am making an ass of myself tonight," _Damn nightmare…_ She thought.

The student chuckled.

"Don't worry. I understand, considering we have never truly had the chance to chat one-on-one. Allow me a moment…How do I put this…" He put a hand on his chin, seeming to be in deep thought, as Suki looked on curiously.

 _I don't want to slip up…_ The honor student thought, _I need to make sure I say what I want to say, without scaring her off._

Finally, having organized his thoughts, Kakyoin opened his eyes and looked straight into Suki's.

"You've always done your best to make others happy. You're bright, and cheerful, and your smile and words bring joy to others. You…You are amazing. That's why I want to do anything to help you. I apologize for not speaking up earlier. We may not have had many chances to talk, but I…admire you."

Suki's face lit up in a fierce blush, as she bit her lip.

 _A-Amazing…Admired…? That's…I don't…deserve this…_

"Th-That is to say," Kakyoin cast his eyes away, as his cheeks tinged red, "What I meant to say was-"

"You're wrong, Kakyoin…"

The student tilted his head, as Suki gritted her teeth.

"If…If I were…then…then I could've…!"

Suki's hands had drifted to the sides of the bench, digging into the wood harshly with her fingertips.

 _Should…Should I tell him?_ The girl thought.

She glanced at the honor student out of the corner of her eye, seeing his violet eyes soften in concern, his lips dropping from the shy smile he had been sporting.

 _I just…don't want him to think less of me…But…he wants me to trust him with_ anything _, so…_

She took a deep breath, then asked a question.

"How much did Jotaro tell you about what happened today?"

"Not much. We never got a chance to talk about it before you fell unconscious."

"I…see," There was a small pause before she spoke up again, "I'll…I'll tell you," She turned to Kakyoin with determined eyes, "But not a word of this to Jotaro, you hear?"

After a moment, the honor student nodded.

Suki proceeded to tell the red-haired man everything that had happened with Steely Dan. All of the actions the man had committed that only served to sully her friend's pride, as well as her own. Kakyoin's reactions only seemed to grow more pained as the minutes wore on, until Suki reached the point right after Jotaro had been thrown out of the jewelry shop.

"I…I let him…He touched…" Wrapping her arms around herself, she shivered, as she grew paler, "I…I couldn't…I couldn't do _anything_ …It didn't hit me until I had that nightmare, but…I was so scared…If…If you hadn't found his Stand in time…"

"That _bastard_ …" Kakyoin raised a fist and threw it down onto the bench. Blood began to leak from the cuts on his knuckles, as he slowly lifted his hand back up.

"Kakyoin…"

"That scum had no right…! I hope he burns in hell for what he did to you both! If I had been there, maybe I could've-!"

"No, don't start," Suki locked eyes with her ally's purple irises, "You needed to help Mr. Joestar. If you hadn't wrapped that tentacle around The Lovers, Jotaro would be…dead," She shook her head, "This is why I can't tell Jotaro this…He would just be more upset…!"

Looking back up at the sky, Kakyoin spoke quietly, almost wistfully.

"Jotaro is a hero. He's cool and strong, and everyone likes him. Our whole school admires him. Even I…a-admire him," He looked back to the girl, "He would help you through this."

"He is a hero. I'm not arguing that. But," Suki turned her gaze skyward once more, "If there's one thing I've learned on this journey, above all others, it's that heroes, _real_ heroes, aren't invincible. Much as I wanted to believe that there are people who had everything planned from the beginning, and knew everything would go exactly as planned with no slip-ups, no nicks or bumps, I've found that…That isn't the case. Not in the slightest.

"Heroes make mistakes. They get cut or bruised, and they don't always win every fight they get into. Sometimes they need help. But, most of all, they experience pain, just like the rest of us. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. No matter what walls they put up, they still feel it. I don't…I don't want to hurt him anymore than what he's gone through today."

Suki let her head drop into her hands, as she carded her fingers through her brown locks.

"Suki…"

"What have I been doing with my life?"

She shook her head.

"All my life, I've been chasing a goddamn pipe dream. I'll never be a knight like the ones I read about. That's just impossible. I can't save everyone and live happily ever after. Even if that were possible, _I_ wouldn't be the one to reach it. I thought, 'maybe if I accept that I'll make mistakes, not strive to become the perfect hero, I can at least be a hero like Jotaro.' When I tried that, I just ended up making myself even more useless…No, not useless…I _was_ used…Goddammit…!" Suki bunched her hair up in her hands, as she shut her eyes in frustration.

"I'm just…washed up."

…

…

…

"…I think you're a hero, too."

Suki did not respond.

"I may not be as brushed up as genuine fans of the medium," Kakyoin started, twirling his stray strand of hair, "But, every time I browse through the bookstore, I see dozens upon dozens of different manga, all with different characters on the cover. No one design of a cover-protagonist is exactly like the other. In that sense, couldn't you say that no two heroes are exactly the same?"

"I-I…I guess not…"

"Then, applying that to the real world, you and Jotaro are both heroes. You have different ways of handling your situations, and of interacting with the people around you, but you are both inarguably heroes, at least, to me. I don't think you have to go about it in a certain way, either."

Kakyoin smiled gently.

"Just do what feels right to you. I'll believe in you all the way."

Suki's mouth fell slightly agape as she processed these words.

Then, the girl began to laugh.

"How thick-headed can I be…? In how many different languages do you guys need to tell me that 'You're strong, and undervaluing your abilities,' before I finally get it? Ever since I joined up with you guys…" Suki shook her head, "Everything's been turned on its head for me. With every passing fight, I just became more and more convinced that I had been doing _everything_ wrong from the start. I wouldn't even listen to _my own words_ , about how I can really only support, because of some selfish dream I had. But…If people like you, and Abdul, can believe in me…"

The girl looked up at Kakyoin and smiled sincerely.

"Then…I must be doing _something_ right."

Kakyoin's eyes shimmered at this new confidence he had instilled in her.

"And don't sell yourself short, Kakyoin."

"Hm?"

"You're a hero, too. You're kind, strong, and cool. You and Jotaro are different, but you're both heroes," The girl closed her eyes in thought, "Polnareff, Mr. Joestar…Abdul…If I can be a hero, then there's no doubt in my mind that they are, too."

"Now, who's selling who short?" Kakyoin asked, quirking an eyebrow as he smirked.

"Right, right. Still working on that. But, I think…I think I still need help."

She leaned closer to Kakyoin, placing her hand on the bench for support.

"Please…Keep believing in me?"

The honor student nodded.

"Of course. No matter what."

Suki smiled.

"Thank you. It means a lot."

At that moment, the door to the deck opened. Polnareff walked out and stretched his arms over his head. As Kakyoin and Suki turned to look, they noticed the sun was slowly rising, illuminating the once dark early-morning sky.

"Morning, you two-!"

The Frenchman stopped dead in his tracks upon the sight of the two youths. Wondering what he was so surprised about, the two examined their positioning. Both were leaning toward the other person, too close to be considered normal fare for a pair of friends, and Suki's hand had ended up covering Kakyoin's. Polnareff grinned.

"Well, whatever happened to 'it's not like that, not with him'? This seems like pretty damning evidence _against_ your case."

The two youths separated with flushed cheeks, as Suki stammered, trying to form coherent sentences.

"I-I…Objection…I object…to that…" She stated weakly.

"Aw, come on, put some fire into it! Convince me I didn't see what I did!" Polnareff taunted.

Suki stood up swiftly from her seat and turned. She swung her arm back and brought it forward to point at Polnareff, placing her other hand on her hip.

" _Objection_! You have no conclusive evidence for the state of our relationship!"

"I don't think you're helping our case, Suki…" Kakyoin murmured. He shook his head, "Fine. You have your assumptions. What are you going to do with them?"

"Well, I _might_ tell the others…Unless you catch me first!"

With that, the man swung the door open and rushed back inside.

"Polnareff, you wouldn't dare!" Suki started, taking steps toward the door.

"There's no point," Kakyoin stated, "I have no earthly idea why he is so riled up this morning, but he'll get bored if we don't play his little game. I doubt he would tell the others about what he saw, anyway."

"Would you put it past him, though?"

Kakyoin raised a finger, opening his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it, casting his eyes away for a moment. He then stood up sharply and walked quickly to the door.

"I'll be right back."

The honor student opened the door and shut it behind him. Suki laughed to herself, as she gazed up at the slowly brightening sky. She smiled and headed through the door, ready to start preparing for the day ahead.

* * *

"Kakyoin, are you alright?" Jotaro asked as they walked along the sidewalk.

"Just fine," He spoke somewhat tersely, fiddling with his stray strand of hair again.

Suki smiled sheepishly. She didn't even have to see Polnareff's face to know that he was wearing a shit-eating grin.

The girl hadn't been too fussed about the possibility of Polnareff gossiping with Jotaro and Mr. Joestar, especially since the two men didn't seem like the type who would believe everything they heard. The misconception could easily have been explained away. She had yet to deduce whether Polnareff was just trying to cheer them up or needed to let off some steam, but, suffice to say, he had been walking leisurely around the boat while Kakyoin stood guarding the ears of the other two men. Suki guessed that the honor student had not wanted her to be embarrassed by the gossip, but recognized that there could be a list of other potential reasons. Either way, Kakyoin's morning had been spent less on preparing for their docking in Abu Dhabi and more on preventing Polnareff from gossiping.

 _Seeing him so flustered is kind of cute, though,_ Suki thought with a smile.

"All right, we're here!" Joseph announced, as they walked up to a fancy, glass-covered building. He turned and addressed the group.

"Polnareff, you come inside with me to get the car. You three can relax out here for a bit," The old man instructed as he looked to Polnareff, then to Suki, Kakyoin, and Jotaro.

"I wonder if there'll be any cute girls inside…" The silver-haired man mused as he followed Joseph inside.

Kakyoin sighed.

"Is that really all you ever think about?"

Turning her gaze to the area sitting in front of the building, Suki was able to fully examine the scenery that one could describe as ostentatious. Four different hedge mazes sat bordering a large fountain in the middle, directly across from the entrance to the building. The outdoor decorations, coupled with the flashy style of the building, just screamed "new rich."

Stepping up to the fountain, Suki gazed at her reflection in the water, as it wavered slightly. She closed her eyes and remembered the words Minaj had spoken to her, back in the plaza in Singapore.

 _"You say the dumbest shit. Yeah, yeah, friendship, justice, blah blah blah. Results beat idealism, Suki, and I don't see your whole knight charade getting any results…So, grow up, or join your philosophy in the dirt where it belongs!"_

 _Back then, I thought your words were_ hurtful _, Minaj…_ Suki shook her head, _but,_ _I_ did _need to grow up…_

Looking up from the water, she saw Jotaro sitting on the edge of the fountain, a cigarette sitting in his mouth, while Kakyoin examined one of the nearby hedge mazes, careful not to walk off too far. Suki thought back to the honor student's words.

" _He would help you through this."_

 _I should be honest with him,_ Suki thought, as she walked over to where the thug sat.

"Hey, Jo~ta~ro?" The man looked up upon hearing his name called, "Could we… talk for a bit?"

The thug removed the cigarette from his mouth, exhaling a stream of smoke with a sigh.

"You're still bothered about yesterday, aren't you?"

"Hm. Leave it to you and your deductive reasoning skills, Sherlock…" Suki muttered, sitting beside him.

"I'm serious," The man locked eyes with the girl as he spoke, "…I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize. That was my fault. If I hadn't jumped in like that, you wouldn't have had to see all of that. _I_ should be saying sorry to _you_."

"Look, we could just agree that we both fucked up," _If that'll stop you from taking_ all _of the blame, at the very least,_ Jotaro thought.

After a moment, Suki nodded.

"Don't be afraid to talk about it either."

"Huh?" Suki asked. She watched as her friend pulled his hat lower over his face.

"I can't imagine what that was like for you. If you want to talk about it, that's fine. I'll listen."

"Jotaro…" She swallowed, "You'll…You'll really help me?"

He looked at her for a moment before responding.

"Yeah. I'll do what I can."

"We're back!" Joseph called out to the three, Polnareff following close behind.

Suki waved at them, as she and Jotaro stood up.

"Hey, Jotaro?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you. I'm…" She turned to him and smiled shyly, "I'm really glad to have made a friend like you."

Jotaro's eyes widened slightly. A moment passed before he tilted the brim of his hat down, a light red tinge dusting his cheeks.

"Right. Sure."

 _He told me before that he doesn't blush…_ Suki thought, _does he just not know that he's doing it?_

The girl dismissed the thought as the group of five walked over to the car Joseph had bought.

* * *

 _Black with silver trim…_ Suki pondered, _such a fancy car, but I don't feel it will be getting much use apart from driving along these city streets._

Sitting between Kakyoin and Jotaro in the backseat, Suki leaned back and folded her arms, silently thankful that this car seemed to provide more ample space for herself and the two men on either side of her. It was still a bit of a squeeze, but less so than usual.

 _The last time I saw paved city streets like this…We were in Singapore,_ the girl reminisced _, we really have come a long way since then…_

"But, man, I can't believe this country," Polnareff marveled, casting his gaze about from the driver's seat, "Every house we see is like a mansion."

"Eyes on the road, Polnareff," Kakyoin instructed.

"Yeah, yeah…"

"You're right about the houses, though," Joseph concurred from the passenger seat, his eyes glued to a map, "All the houses around here would cost 3 or 4 billion yen in Tokyo," He turned his gaze to look out the window, "Apparently this is the norm for the people here. Just twenty years ago, this was all desert, but thanks to massive profits from the oil crisis, this place grew into a dream-like city."

 _Huh. I wonder what watching the development of this city was like…_

"The sun is harsh, but with air conditioning, it's perfectly comfortable inside the car. No complaints here," Polnareff expressed, looking out the front window of the car.

Suki glanced to her left and caught Kakyoin gazing out the window. As the student turned back, the girl saw his expression was unusually perturbed. About to ask what the matter was, Jotaro beat her to the punch.

"What's wrong, Kakyoin?"

"I-It's nothing. The view here is amazing. If anyone were after us, I'm sure we'd spot them," Kakyoin put a hand to his chin as he spoke, "But I feel like someone's watching us, so I can't help looking back."

"Yeah, I can't blame you," Polnareff admitted.

"Well, with that in mind," Joseph started, looking back at the map in his hands, "I've been thinking about our route from here," The old man started by pointing at Abu Dhabi, tracing a route to a settlement designated as 'Yarpline,' "About 100 kilometers northwest is a village called Yarpline. Because of the desert and mountains, the road is heavily curved. It takes two days to reach by car, so the villagers use a Cessna to travel," He laid the back of his hand flat on the map, "I think we should go to the village first, buy a Cessna, and cross the vast Saudi Arabian desert," He then looked to the rest of the group as he continued, "Up to now, I've been worried that attacks by Stand users would cause any airplane we rode in to crash, putting innocent lives at risk. But if we have a Cessna, I can pilot it, and it'll shorten our travel time."

Suki was keenly aware of Jotaro's expression darkening at this last statement. The thug leaned back in his seat.

"I don't really want to board a Cessna with a man who's been through three plane crashes," He muttered, as his grandfather looked on at him irritably.

"Wait, _three_? I thought it was just the one?" Suki asked.

"Apparently, he went through two before he was even twenty," Jotaro explained.

"Oh," Suki paused, shifting slightly in her seat, "Uh, would it be bad to say I'm starting to feel a bit anxious myself?"

"Yes!" Joseph exclaimed. He then sighed and continued, "Well, anyway, I think we should first cross this desert to get to the village of Yarpline. On camels, it would take one day."

"Camels?! A Cessna's one thing, but wait a minute! I've never ridden a camel before," Polnareff expressed anxiously. Mr. Joestar chuckled and closed the map he held.

"Leave it to me. I know them very well. I'll teach you how to ride. Just sit back and relax."

 _Man,_ Suki looked at the ceiling of the car with a content smile, _this should be fun. I remember riding camels to tour the pyramids a few times with Kyuu. "Our noble steeds," he'd call them…They sure were ornery. I never got any of them to like me._

Polnareff pulled the car over by a white tent sitting on the city limits. A pen of camels was situated beside the tent, monitored by a small man wearing a red patterned vest and a small white turban. Joseph got out first and began speaking with the man, as the rest of the group followed.

"You want camels?" The small man asked, "Sure, but they're pretty expensive and not easy to care for."

"We're in a serious, life-or-death situation, so we need them, whatever it takes," Mr. Joestar explained, "As for payment, how about a trade for that car?"

"What?!" The vendor and Polnareff seemed to be on the same wavelength, as they both shouted.

"That's way too much, sir," The small man stated.

"Yeah, Mr. Joestar! Besides, you just bought that car!" The Frenchman said. Joseph folded his arms and grinned.

"Why else do you think I bought such a fancy, expensive car? An off-road vehicle is better in the desert. But I wouldn't be able to write a check in a place like this, and they don't trust cash here. In a place like this, trading is far more effective. If you try to buy safety for cheap in a time of emergency, you'll end up even worse off in the end," The old man shrugged, "Well, it just means we've suffered a lot already," He then turned and took the vendor's hand, "Hey, Mister."

"Huh?"

Joseph shook the small man's hand.

"This seals the deal, right? Oh, I know. To make things more even," The old man pointed to a group of dark green tanks sitting near the tent, "I'd like the water in those tanks there. In a desert, that's the most important thing."

"Water is cheap compared to that car. You sure are an odd one," The vendor expressed.

"All right, everyone," Mr. Joestar addressed the group, "Let's get ready. Crossing a desert is a tough task. Let's keep our wits about us!"

Soon enough, all five members of the group were standing in front of the caravan of camels they had purchased. Feeling bold, Suki walked over to one of the animals and began to pet the soft fur on its chin.

 _Well, so far, we're off to a good start, compared to the other camels I've met…_ Suki thought. The camel she had interacted with looked down at her with soft brown eyes. The girl blushed. _C-Cute…_

She turned upon hearing Polnareff groan in disgust, as he started spraying air freshener at one of the camels, holding his nose.

"Hey, Mr. Joestar! How do you get on it? It's, like, three meters tall."

"You could start by not choking the poor thing with air freshener…" Suki muttered.

"Well, you see, with camels…" Joseph started, walking over to the reins of one of the camels, taking hold of them, "You make them sit first, and then get on."

Mr. Joestar pulled on the reins, but to no avail. He grabbed on with the other hand as he repeated himself.

"You make them sit first, and then get on…"

The old man was obviously putting his whole weight into pulling down on the reins, as he repeated himself once more.

"You make them sit, then get on!"

Suki looked away as Joseph continued to struggle with the camel, wondering how she herself could get the camel to sit down for her.

 _The person in charge of caring for the camels always gave us something to feed them, to establish at least a little bit of trust,_ Suki remembered, reaching into her bag, _I think we got to feed them a bit of banana at one point, so this should work…Hopefully…_

She removed the yellow fruit from her bag and peeled it, as the camel seemed to watch raptly. The girl smiled as she tore off a quarter of the fruit, letting it lay in the palm of her hand.

"Here, it's for you," Suki spoke quietly, trying not to scare the animal.

The dromedary meandered over and sniffed at the food, before it picked it up in its mouth, chewing noisily. Suki brushed her fingers through the tuft of fur on the animal's head.

"There, there, that's good…"

Looking back to the group, Suki saw that Joseph was trying to climb the camel, wrapping his arms around the creature's neck and hanging.

 _What is he doing…?_ The girl wondered, quirking an eyebrow.

Hearing the sound of a camel huffing extremely close to her, Suki turned just in time to see the camel she had been working to tame wrap its neck around her head.

"Wh-!" Suki's words were muffled by the camel fur, as the animal bleated.

 _Wait, I saw the camels back home do this to Kyuu all the time, and he had no problem with them…_ Suki thought, _oh my God…I am now the camel whisperer. Now,_ I've _got your power, Big Bro!_

"J-Just one moment. It's gonna sit down right now," The old man assured, disappearing around the side. Suki was able to see his legs dangling from under the camel's stomach as he shouted at the animal, "Hey! Sit! Sit down! Dammit, you stubborn animal!"

"Hey, you _have_ ridden one of these before, right?" Polnareff asked.

"I've seen that really long movie, _Lawrence of Arabia_ , three times! I know very well how to ride a camel!" Mr. Joestar announced proudly, "Though, two of those times I slept through half of it."

"M-Movie?! What? You've never actually ridden one?" The Frenchman spoke with a disheartened expression.

The dromedary shook its head, spraying slobber on Joseph's face. After a moment, he turned to the rest of the group.

"It's great sunscreen! Didn't you know that?" He laughed.

"Doesn't look like you're having much luck, Mr. Joestar…" Suki spoke from atop her camel.

Finally noticing the girl's conquest of the beast, the other three men looked up to the girl with a mixture of shock and awe, save for Jotaro, who did not seem surprised.

 _Man, it feels so_ weird _towering over these guys…_ Suki thought with a grin.

"Wow, Suki, how'd you mount so quickly?" Polnareff asked.

 _Very carefully,_ Suki thought, _I have_ some _modicum of control, though._

"I _have_ ridden camels before. I went on a lot of pyramid tours with my brother, and the camels we had to ride were ornery little buggers," She reached over and petted the neck of her camel, "But, I'm no camel expert. I think I just got lucky with this sweetheart."

"Wait, if you've ridden camels before, shouldn't _you_ be the one instructing us?" Polnareff asked, folding his arms.

"But, Mr. Joestar seemed so excited. I didn't want to steal his thunder," The girl admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Look! See?!" Joseph yelled at the group. On closer inspection, he had managed to make his own camel sit down, "It sat down! If you take time to understand the camel, it'll sit down for you!" He laughed as he began to mount the animal.

"Do you perhaps have any tips that may help?" Kakyoin asked.

Suki folded her arms.

"Well, the best I can tell you is to treat the animals with respect. They're like people: they'll be loath to do what you want if you force them. You have to be gentle."

Suki was certain she heard Kakyoin mumble something, as she turned her gaze to him.

"Did you say something, Kakyoin?" The girl asked.

The honor student's face lit up, as he looked away.

"Just thinking aloud."

Suki tilted her head, but did not pry further.

 _Maybe if I heard him say it again…_

Looking back to Mr. Joestar, she saw he had finally managed to make the animal stand up.

"I did it! It's so high up!" He shouted gleefully, "They can close their nostrils to keep sand out. Just don't make any stupid jokes like 'Once you get over the hump, it's easy,' or they'll kick you."

"Hmm…" Suki hummed, putting a hand to her chin, "I'm wondering if your camel was so ornery because it isn't Wednesday."

"What makes you think that?" Joseph asked, pulling up next to Suki.

"I feel like camels would be more amicable on their favorite day, Hump Day."

…

The camel Suki rode began to huff in a rhythm, akin to a human laugh.

"Hah, see? I made my camel laugh!" Suki spoke pridefully.

"It'll probably kick you once you get off. And I don't blame it," Jotaro expressed with a sigh.

Suki rolled her eyes.

"All right. Now I'll tell you what to be careful with when riding camels," Joseph began, "Listen up. Camels don't walk like horses. The front and back leg on the same side move forward together, so they sway a lot. So just ride with that rhythm. Like this!"

The old man tried to steer his camel in one direction, but quickly lost control of his mount. The others could only watch as the chaos ensued.

"Hey, wait! T-Too fast! L-Listen to me! Not that way, I said!"

"Yep, that brings back memories," Suki mused, closing her eyes contentedly, "I had just about the same luck with the camels back in Egypt."

"Well, while Mr. Joestar is…" Kakyoin started, his eyes drifting from Suki to the man riding the wild dromedary.

"Oh, no! I said _this way_!"

"…busy, perhaps you could show us how you mounted your camel?" The honor student finished, turning back to the girl.

"It would save time," Jotaro agreed.

"Uh, yeah, sure."

 _Sorry to steal your thunder, Mr. Joestar…_

* * *

The camel Joseph rode seemed to calm down just as Suki finished helping the others onto their mounts. The four looked on at the old man, sitting atop his own camel in front of them, covered in nicks and bumps, pulling the brim of his hat low.

 _Ah, that's right…_ Suki remembered, reaching into her bag. She pulled out the gray newsboy cap she had wanted to keep safe and pulled it over her head, _if the top of my head is uncovered, I'll get a sunstroke. Thank God I kept the hat, I hadn't brought anything along, since I didn't know we'd be taking this route back home._

"All right. Looks like everyone got on as smoothly as planned," Joseph raised his arm high, "Let's get through that desert everyone!" He pointed toward the northwest, "Onward toward the northwest!"

The five then rode on, into the dusty dunes ahead. Suki managed to move in along the end, on the far left of their line, right next to Kakyoin. Looking out at the sandy expanse, she noted that the desert felt different from her excursions to the pyramids. Several rock formations stood out, with scarce bits of vegetation only every so often. Not to mention, it was _hot_ , the heat rivaling sunny, summer deserts back home. The girl already felt sweat crawling its way down her back as they journeyed forward.

Turning to the man she rode next to, she noticed that he had donned a long, white scarf, the fabric covering his head like the hood on a jacket. The redhead kept his eyes forward, his expression firm.

In hindsight, it should have been obvious to Suki that the several gossiping girls who spotted her friend walk by were chattering for a reason, but the gentler contours of his face, compared to those of their comrades, and the vibrant glimmer of his violet irises were eye-catching, to say the least. Even though what they were doing was less than attractive, Kakyoin pulled off riding through the desert on camelback with an elegance that only seemed characteristic to whatever _he_ did. There was a serene beauty to the honor student, as though a masterpiece painting had been brought to life and was walking about among unworthy onlookers.

The honor student then turned to the girl. Seeing she had been staring, he cocked his head to the side, letting his turban drape slightly over his stray strand of hair.

"Is something wrong, Suki?"

Suki was somewhat startled by this question, as she cast her eyes away.

 _Crap, I was_ definitely _staring…_ Suki thought embarrassedly.

"Well, I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

Amidst an inward panic, Suki scrambled for something to ask about.

 _Maybe something about the camels? What do the camels remind me of…? Those tours in Egypt…A-ha! I've got it!_

"You said you'd visited Egypt before, right? Did you get to visit the Giza pyramids?"

"I did. I was surprised to find that, despite their claustrophobic nature, the interiors of pyramids are a very cool, comfortable temperature. The touts were also…quite aggressive."

Suki sighed inwardly, glad that he hadn't caught on to how much she had been staring.

"Yeah, at least they aren't violent about it…Then again, it's been a while since I've visited…" She looked to the man with a concerned expression, "They…didn't get violent with you, did they?"

"Thankfully, I was with my family. Any attempts to get violent would have been firmly dealt with."

 _By_ you _, I'm guessing…?_ Suki thought.

"They truly are architectural marvels," Kakyoin spoke in awe, "I feel conflicted as to whether I would like to know how they were constructed."

"Right?" Suki grinned, "They're so mysterious…That adds to their mystique, but part of me only wants to figure out the answer more!"

"Truly one of the wonders of the world…" Kakyoin nodded.

"Weren't they built by slaves, though? They used ramps, didn't they?" Polnareff chimed in from the other side of Kakyoin.

The honor student sighed. Suki smiled sheepishly.

"That is mere theory. Making ramps would require an enormous volume of materials, much more than they would've had at the time. How do you believe they towed two-point-five ton blocks of stone up ramps and around corners, at the required pace of one block per minute?" Kakyoin corrected.

"Not to mention," Suki added, putting a finger to her chin, "They've disproved the theory of slaves doing the work. On one excavation, they managed to find attendance records for the workers. Some even had notes related to reasons for absence," She giggled, "Like 'hangover.'"

"Really? Laborers got away with that?" The honor student asked with a laugh. As he did, Polnareff turned back to look out at the desert ahead of him, smiling knowingly.

 _I'll leave those two to it, then_ , he thought.

"Either they were very persuasive workers, or their bosses were extremely lenient. Whichever way you see it, slaves couldn't have taken days off for reasons like that."

"You're very brushed up on your historical knowledge, Suki. I'm impressed," The red-haired man praised.

"Heheh, they just excite me, is all. Walking through the pyramids is kind of like exploring a castle," The girl closed her eyes contentedly, "I hope I get to visit them again someday."

A moment passed, before Kakyoin spoke again, lowering his voice.

"Do you miss home?"

"…I _do_ get homesick sometimes. I miss my mom, a lot, and, I mean, it's where I was raised, after all. I think, though…" She opened her eyes, "I want to see more places. I've been to America once and Japan numerous times, but going on this journey has really opened my eyes. There's so much more outside of Egypt that I want to see, so much more, even outside of the places I've already visited," Suki caught her fist in her other hand as her eyes lit up, "Okay, once this journey's over, first, I'll find my dad and sis in England, and then…hmm…" She laughed, scratching the back of her neck, "I guess I'll go from there."

Suki adjusted her hat as she looked back to the honor student, locking eyes with him.

"What about you? Do you get homesick?"

"Not too frequently," He turned his bright eyes forward, "To be honest…I've never felt more alive, being on this journey with everyone."

"Huh? What do you mean by-"

At that moment, Kakyoin swung his gaze from the dusty horizon to his left, his purple irises restless. Suki quickly lowered her eyes.

 _Crap, I overstepped my bounds, didn't I?_

"Something's wrong," Polnareff looked over at Kakyoin's warning, "I still can't shake the feeling that someone's watching us."

Jotaro, Suki, and Polnareff joined their gazes in the same direction, looking off into the distance.

"Kakyoin, I think you're worrying a bit too much," Polnareff reassured, "The palm leaves are covering our tracks. And we can see a great distance around us. If someone were here, we'd know."

"No, that's wrong!"

The others shifted their attention to Suki, noticing her sudden volume change, as she took a deep breath and recollected herself.

"Actually, I can't help but feel a presence, too," Jotaro pointed out.

"Jotaro, look into it," Joseph said, handing his grandson a pair of binoculars, the group slowing to a stop. As Jotaro let Star Platinum look through the lenses, Suki leaned over to Polnareff.

"Think about it. Almost every time any of us has had a sneaking suspicion of an enemy Stand user being involved, that was almost always the case. Any time something felt off, something _would_ be off."

Suki rode over to Polnareff, in order to chat somewhat privately, as they lowered their voices.

"Okay, sure, that _has_ happened…but not all of the time!" The Frenchman defended.

"The Devil, Yellow Temperance, Wheel of Fortune, Enyaba, and Steely Dan. Before they all appeared before us, a bad feeling made itself clear to at least one of us. You're right, it hasn't happened _every_ time, but enough for a pattern to emerge," Suki sighed, wiping sweat from her warm forehead, "I'm not saying we should be paranoid of even the smallest things, but, with people who are coming after us, wanting to _kill_ us, I'd say we have more than enough reason to be more cautious, even when we've already taken precautionary measures. You need to be more cautious."

There was a small pause, before Polnareff responded.

"Heh, he must've rubbed off on you a bit. You sound like him, scolding me like that," Suki cast her eyes away, as Polnareff tightened his grip on his camel's reins, "I…shouldn't be _this_ torn up about this."

A few moments passed before Suki spoke up gently.

"He would want you to keep moving forward, Polnareff. You can't do that if you're constantly dwelling on this."

"He would, huh?" The silver-haired man asked, laughing softly, "Man, I'm sure learning a lot about him through you. I wish… I'd talked with him more. Wish I'd taken my head out of my ass for two seconds. Wish that…" He placed a closed fist on his forehead, knocking a few times with the side of his hand, "Dammit…I wish he was back. He didn't deserve…any of that…"

"We made a wish, remember? He's…" Suki looked up at the sky, "He's watching us. And he's happy, wherever he is."

Polnareff sighed, then gave a reluctant smile.

"Right."

"Do you see anything suspicious?" Joseph asked, as Jotaro lowered the binoculars from his face.

"No, I don't. There's nothing. But… Something's weird. Something is…"

Polnareff took a sip from his canteen as he piped in.

"Hey, let's hurry up and go."

"Indeed. Let's get as far as we can, and once the sun goes down, we'll stop and put up our tents. It's too dangerous to travel at night," Mr. Joestar warned.

"But, man, it's hot. Look, it's 50 degrees Celsius," Polnareff complained, fanning himself and looking at the thermometer in his hand.

Mr. Joestar pulled out his pocket watch and stared at it.

"It is hot. But it's always hottest around this time of day…" He gasped, "Eight o' clock? Wha? Jotaro. What time does your clock say?"

Jotaro pulled out his watch.

 _Oh, so he_ did _get that back_ , Suki thought, _that's good._

"Ten after eight," The delinquent seemed to pause as he read off the time, turning to Joseph, "Hey, Old Man!"

"So, it is…" Mr. Joestar spoke anxiously, "I-I know we lost track of time, b-but what's going on? It's past 8 PM…So why isn't the sun going down?"

Polnareff cast another glance at his thermometer, his eyes widening.

"I-Impossible! The thermometer just jumped to 60 degrees Celsius!"

Looking up, the sun seemed to burn a ghastly meld of orange and yellow, looking more like the core of a star. This made sense, but it would only look this way _up close,_ Suki was sure of it. She felt the heat coil around her like a blanket, suffocating her body, even in her lighter clothes.

"N-Not only is it not going down…" Kakyoin began.

"…but it's actually rising higher and higher in the west!" Polnareff ended.

"It's only making things hotter _and_ defying the laws of physics?" Suki questioned.

"Could that sun be…" Joseph asked.

"…A Stand?!" Jotaro exclaimed.

"I-I can't believe this! We're in the middle of the desert!" Joseph cried,"Try to hide behind some rocks!"

Everyone dismounted and ran for cover. Suki stopped halfway, running back to the camel she rode and untying one of the tanks from its saddle. The dromedary bleated at her weakly. Suki patted the animal's neck comfortingly.

"It'll be okay. It'll all be okay, we'll be back," She murmured.

With that, she picked the tank up with both arms and dashed behind the rocks, the volume of her teammates voices increasing as she approached.

"How can we fight it?" Polnareff asked, "Damn it! It's now 70 degrees Celsius! Not to mention, we can't even tell if that Stand is close or far away! The distance is impossible to judge!"

"The quickest way to settle this is to take out the user," Jotaro asserted.

"Yes, the user… Whoever it is should be nearby. We must find them. They've been concealing their presence from us somehow while following us all this way," Joseph spoke, before looking at the group, "Wait, where is-?"

"Here!" Suki called out, joining her friends behind the rocks, holding the tank out to the group, speaking between heavy breaths, "I thought this…would be…a little useful!"

"Quick thinking," Jotaro expressed. Suki smiled at him.

"Yes, thank you," Mr. Joestar added.

Polnareff and Kakyoin nodded, as each of them partook of the tank of water, splashing the liquid onto their skin, careful not to waste a drop.

"Hold it!" Polnareff started, "What if it's like The Lovers that we encountered in Pakistan, a Stand that can be remotely controlled?"

"That's inconceivable. A weak Stand can be controlled from a distance, but I'm sure you can feel The Sun's energy…The user must be nearby," Joseph claimed.

As Suki peered over the steaming rock wall, she watched as the nearby plants seemed to wilt in no time flat, insects and arachnids going about their evenings crumbling into dust from the heat. Finally, the camels they had left fell to the ground, one by one.

 _No…_ Suki shook her head, sweat dripping down her face and stinging her eyes. She swallowed, tasting salty liquid as she licked her chapped lips, _everything is dying…_

"This isn't good…The camels are collapsing from the heat," Jotaro spoke between heavy breaths.

Kakyoin took that moment to stand up, as he stared at the sun with narrowed eyes.

"But just staying still won't help us! I'll use Hierophant to look around."

"Kakyoin!" Joseph called out cautiously.

"I'll just use my Stand to find out the enemy Stand's location," The honor student assured, "If we know how far away it actually is, we might be able to find the user."

With that, Hierophant Green emerged from his user and spiraled up into the sky, flying steadily towards the sun.

"Twenty meters," Kakyoin counted, "Forty meters…Sixty meters. Eighty meters…One hundred…"

The sun began to glow a bright white.

"Something's not right! Kakyoin!" Jotaro warned, "Call Hierophant back!"

"Something's coming at us!" Polnareff exclaimed.

Hierophant Green put his hands together, a green current of liquid beginning to stream between his palms, as Kakyoin called out.

"Before that happens, Emerald-"

The sun suddenly sent out a volley of fiery shots, hitting Hierophant in several places, causing Kakyoin to suffer the same wounds. The student began to collapse.

"Kakyoin!" Mr. Joestar called out.

"Kakyoin!" Suki cried, as she crouched next to him. On closer inspection, his wounds appeared numerous, but none were too deep. This did nothing to alleviate the girl's worry, as she called out to him, "Please, say something! Are you alright?!"

"I'm…fine…" Kakyoin assured, his voice raspy.

 _It looks like he didn't suffer too much damage…_ Suki thought, wiping her brow, _did his Emerald Splash defend him?_

Suddenly, everyone heard Jotaro yelling at them.

"I'm busting a hole in the ground, so get in!"

They all followed the instructions, as they piled into the hole Jotaro had punched out with Star Platinum. Quickly shouldering the injured honor student, Suki made her way to the back of the cavern. Seeing Kakyoin in a bit of a daze, she called out to him.

"Kakyoin," He darted his purple irises to her, as he desperately tried to steady his heavy breathing. Trying to reassure him, Suki smiled, "You should feel better back here, in the shade."

"S-Suki…" He murmured, his voice weak.

At that moment, Suki felt the ground under her feet unexpectedly weaken. Looking down, she noticed that what she had originally perceived as solid rock was giving way under her feet. Given little time to react, she shoved Kakyoin back, away from where an all-too-round hole opened up directly underneath the girl's feet. The honor student looked on in horror as the ground seemed to swallow the girl whole. Finding no energy left to scream, Suki shut her eyes and felt the wind past her skin. All light disappeared, just as she felt a large figure grab hold of her, pulling her close as they continued to fall.

* * *

"…Mi…now…Miss…Miss Kanao…Miss Kanao!"

"Nngh…Five more minutes…" Suki mumbled, turning her head away from the voice. Despite the previous heat of the desert, she reveled in the dilute warmth of what she had landed on.

"Miss Kanao, much as you may want to enjoy your lover's company, I do believe we do not have much time to chat."

 _Lover? What is he…?_ Suki opened her eyes and pushed herself up, finding herself laying right on top of Kakyoin. Her cheeks flared up as she quickly rolled off of the honor student.

"Rise and shine, Miss Kanao," Suki looked up and finally saw the source of the voice, shining a bright light in her face. Whit.

"Okay, if this is about the envelope, I'm _sorry_ ," Suki apologized, "The best place I could find for a private location was in a closet on the boat, and we both know that two people can _not_ fit in there comfortably. How was I supposed to know that you would just warp right in front of me?"

"The envelope sends a signal to me. I receive the signal, I teleport. It is as simple as that."

"Right…" Suki then turned her attention to the honor student who had laid beneath her. She pulled out her own flashlight and shined it over his body, his chest rising and falling in gentle respiration. Finding no new injuries, she asked, "How did we land without a scratch?"

"I placed a cushion underneath the hole that opened under you," He explained.

"Wait, so _you_ made that hole?"

Whit chuckled.

"I would prefer you not make assumptions, Miss Kanao."

 _Cryptic as ever…_ Suki thought, _there's no one else here, and there's no sign of that cushion he mentioned…_

"You may be wondering how exactly I may have managed to do so many things, despite your prior knowledge of my Stand abilities. The answer to that lies in this location. For, you see-"

"Could you hold that thought, actually?" Suki asked, clasping her hands together, "I need to patch my friend up."

Whit shook his head.

"You do realize he won't die from those wounds, correct? Where is the rush?"

Suki raised an eyebrow at Whit.

 _Ever since I saw him off at Singapore…_ Suki thought, _I may not have known him that well then, but he has a completely different atmosphere to him than he did before…It almost feels like..._

The girl shook her head.

"Regardless, I'd like to patch him up."

"Miss Kanao, I believe you did not hear me earlier. We do not have much time."

"No, I heard you the first time, Whit," Suki spoke as she gently lifted her friend and leaned him against one of the rocky walls, "If what you have to tell me is so important, can't you do it while I'm nursing? I can multitask."

Whit seemed taken aback, not that he let it show on his face, but in his gestures. He sighed.

"It's less tell, and more show, Miss Kanao," He explained, as he walked over and crouched next to Suki, as she fished into her satchel and pulled out her bandages and antiseptic, placing her flashlight on the ground as she gestured to Whit to shine his light on the student. He acquiesced.

"Okay, why do you say you don't have much time?" Suki asked, as she began to dab at Kakyoin's cuts.

"I only had this one opportunity to show you what can be found here. I have to report to Lord Dio very soon, you see, for I am still his eyes and ears for your group."

"What is so important that you have to show me?"

Whit cast his eyes down to his collar, touching the gem placed in it.

"You are curious about this, no?"

"I have been, yes. Does this…Does this have to do with what you told Enyaba? How people _can_ have more than one Stand?"

Whit's eyebrows shot up, his eerie grin growing ever-so-slightly.

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

"When I first met you, your neck was bare. When I saw you in that graveyard, you were wearing the collar, and you told Enyaba that people could wield more than one Stand, relating that topic back to a gift Dio had apparently given you, a reminder of your mistakes. Granted, you could've just been hiding the rest of your abilities from me, but…"

Whit chuckled.

"My, my. You are far sharper than I gave you credit for, Miss Kanao. Yes, it _is_ about that. The answer to the question, 'Can a person wield more than one Stand?' is in this very location."

The man began to drag his palm across the wall, as though he was appreciative of the rough, rocky texture.

"We stumbled upon this place a long time ago. Just digging tunnels for a man who could not step out into the day. Those were…simpler times. Times I wish I could go back to," Whit confessed, his smile growing wistful. He shook his head and turned his gaze back up to Suki, who appeared to be finishing tending to Kakyoin's wounds.

"I must say, though, I did _not_ expect this man to come falling in after you. He even tried to slow your descent with a Stand-based net."

 _That's right_ …Suki reminisced, _when I fell, I felt someone grab me and hold me close to them. So that…_ Her face grew red, _Kakyoin did that? Was he…trying to save me? The hole closed up right after he fell in, so he couldn't make it back up…_

"Much as I would be irritated that someone followed you, he should be out cold for just enough time."

"What, did you use a knockout drug, or something?"

Whit did not respond. His grin only twitched slightly.

 _This guy really pulled out all the stops._

"I do find his devotion to you to be quite adorable."

"Devotion…?" Suki placed her bandages and antiseptic back in her bag as she turned to the man next to her, "He… _did_ say he admired me…"

"I believe it is more than simple admiration, Miss Kanao; however, I will leave the discovery of what that is exactly to you. Now, then," Whit stood up and began to walk out of the small room. Without turning to look at Suki, standing in the entrance, he spoke.

"Please, look around as much as you can. This tunnel only goes one way up to the surface, and the walls will fall in within one hour. Make your time count."

"I can't."

Whit turned slightly.

"What do you mean you 'can't'?"

"I mean 'I can't.' I spent this much time here taking care of Kakyoin's wounds. Now I have to get back to my friends on the surface," Suki picked up her flashlight, stood, and helped the honor student onto her shoulder, "If you're so observant, you would've noticed that we were in the middle of fighting a Stand."

"I did notice. That is why I brought you into shelter."

"Well, maybe if you'd taken the time to shelter everyone else, I would've been more willing to listen," She suggested, walking past the man.

"One person disappearing near the back of the cave, especially one of your size, would go unnoticed by the Stand user. Everyone going missing in such a manner would raise suspicion. Besides," Whit shook his head, "I can't bring them down here."

"You 'can't'?" Suki stopped and turned, "Or you ' _won't_ '? You're perfectly capable of teleporting other people."

Whit stood silent.

"Spill it, Whit. Why do you only want _me_ to know this?"

A long pause ensued, before Whit finally spoke.

"You are the key to preventing calamity."

…

…

…

"Right. Well, I'm off."

Suki felt a hand on her shoulder, and, all too quickly, she was back in the room she had fallen into.

"I believe you misunderstand, Miss Kanao. You _must_ learn this information. And the fewer people who know about this, the better."

"Fine, but where is-" A small thud was heard from out in the tunnel. The girl sighed.

 _He's still out there. Face down in the dirt. Great._

"Now, see these drawings on the wall?"

Suki followed the trajectory of Whit's flashlight beam.

The pictures on the wall were simple, but with a purpose in mind. Several drawings of humans were accompanied by ghostly-looking beings, rushing into battle with each other, scattered over the rock. The centerpiece of the creation was what looked to be a red whirlpool, carrying blue embers around in a circle, swirling into a white, softly glowing center.

Whit gave a small short laugh.

"It looks as though it's reacting to so many in one place," He stared at the softly glowing center of the drawing, "This area…it was carved out with the intended purpose of enlightening us. Allow me to show you…"

With that, the man pressed one finger on his collar and placed his other hand over the drawing. A jolt went through him before the wall began to glow. Suddenly, a new picture appeared, as though overlaying the original work.

The picture was of two men, standing on flat ground. One man pointed at a space underneath the other, and a symmetrical hole appeared beneath him, pulling him under the ground before it closed. The first man then pulled his arm back and pointed in the same spot, and a blob of something formed where he pointed. The same man who had fallen into the hole came falling from above, landing on the blob in one piece, as it gave under his weight. The movie then cut out, replacing its images with the original drawing.

 _That was…That's what Whit did to pull us down here, according to him, but why were we shown that?_

"Do you see now, what each of us has?" Whit looked to the girl next to him. His eyes were teary as he spoke, "This cavern was made for the express purpose of showing us the potential of Stand Transplants!"

 _Stand Transplants…?_

"Here, here," Whit coaxed excitedly, "Do what I did, with your necklace."

 _He really_ is _watching me twenty-four-seven…_

With a small breath, Suki pulled out her necklace and firmly grasped it, placing it against the wall where Whit's hand once rested.

The wall flashed once.

…

…

…

Nothing more happened.

"That's…hmm…" Whit put a hand to his chin as he turned from the drawings, "Could it be because the Stand in the necklace is not linked? No, that can't be it, we've tried this with unlinked Stands before…"

"What the hell are you on about?" Suki asked, her expression perturbed.

"Ah, well, you see," Whit turned back to the girl, "These Stands become conjoined to our bodies through a very specific surgical practice. Even I am not certain how to perform it. That is how we can harness their power. But yours… Perhaps there is a greater power that even the ruins cannot reveal…"

"Okay, but what is this, about me being the key to preventing calamity? Am I some hero of the prophecy or something?" Suki said with a laugh.

Whit simply smiled his typical, eerie smile.

"Not a prophecy, but something along those lines."

A long pause ensued.

"You're…You're joking, right? I-I'm not…" Suki shook her head, "I'm only out on this journey to find my brother, and bring my family back together. _Maybe_ help fight Dio, if I'm strong enough by then. Is that what this is about? Defeating Dio?"

"Something like that…"

"Could you just give me a straight answer for once?"

"Yes."

 _Is that it…?_

"Could I at least get pictures of these drawings? I want to sit down and decipher their meaning once I get out of the cave."

The blond man sighed.

"Very well. I will get you pictures. Now, then, don't you have somewhere to be?"

Suki paused.

"You're done…? You're not gonna warp me back again?"

"I have finished showing you what I needed to show you. You are free to go on your way."

At this, Suki rushed out of the cave, back to where she had been forced to drop her friend. She vaguely heard Whit chuckling behind her as she reached Kakyoin. Turning, she saw the man was gone once more. With a heavy sigh, she shouldered the honor student once more and began the trek out of the cave.

 _I didn't ask for all of this prophecy stuff,_ Suki thought, as she walked, _I wanted to be a hero, yeah, but not like this… 'Prevent calamity'? Is he just off his rocker or something…? Thinking about it more, though…_

She remembered her great grandmother's story, as she bit her lip.

 _I understand now…What happened to you…That fateful night, the blood of two attendants were mixed…Jonathan and Dio were fated to clash, intertwining their fates so closely that Dio, joined to his new body, affects the Joestars of today. Someone carrying the blood of two people, both connected to either fate, no matter how small that fraction is…Would that someone be so dramatically affected as well? Dramatically affected enough that interacting with both fates once more is only destiny? A destiny…to prevent the calamity Dio wishes to bring…?_

 _The bloodline of Wang Chan…Is closely tied to Dio…_

* * *

The girl and her brother were woken in the middle of the night by the sound of a scream.

"Mama?! What happened?!" Suki cried, rushing out of her room. Her mother stood at the window, looking about frantically. Her usually well-kept hair was in disarray, and her eyes were wild.

"Mom?" Kyuu asked, slowly walking up to Ms. Kanao.

"I feel like…Something is coming…Or… _Someone_ …" Finally seeming to notice her two children behind her, Ms. Kanao took a deep breath and turned to them, smiling.

"Sorry, you two, I just had a bit of a nightmare, is all. Go back to sleep."

Kyuu and Suki exchanged an unconvinced look before turning back to their mother.

"You…sure you're okay, Mom?"

This appeared to cause the woman to pause, as she closed her eyes in thought.

"They say a mother's intuition is never wrong, but this is…"

"Mama?"

Ms. Kanao shook her head.

"I'm fine. No need to worry."

Little did the family know that, that night, Ms. Kanao had awakened to a long dormant ability. A Stand that could detect pheromones of a very specific type of life form, one that just so happened to visit the Kanao household the very next night. This life form was far from ordinary, however. For he is the king.

The king of vampires.

* * *

 _Mom told me later that she only learned then that she was able to detect vampire pheromones with her own Stand. The pheromones are so strong that they could rub off onto people through simple contact. She would always make me hide whenever she caught wind of them, but then it would just be Kyuu, coming home for a visit. With this ability, I'm sure she'll be able to keep herself safe from Dio, if he decides to go after her, but…This only proves just how closely linked our destinies are to Dio…_

Suki stopped to catch her breath.

 _Jeez, Kakyoin, when are you gonna…?_

Looking to the man she was shouldering, Suki saw that his eyes were half-open, as he stared at the ground.

"…Kakyoin?"

"Hmm…?" The honor student's dazed eyes drifted lazily to the person next to him. Slowly but surely, recognition passed over his face. Realizing his positioning, his face grew red, as he quickly removed himself from the girl.

"Forgive me, I thought I was dreaming," He apologized quickly, casting his eyes away, "It was so cool in here, I thought I was going crazy."

"It's not a problem, really," Suki soothed, secretly wondering how long her ally had been awake.

"Where did we…?" Kakyoin asked, looking around in the dark tunnel. He winced and placed a hand on his head, asking "How did we get here?"

"You don't remember?" Suki asked. About to start explaining, she decided against just standing around and talking, "Let's focus on getting out of here. I'll tell you on the way," She walked over to the redhead, holding out her hand, "You good to keep going?"

He nodded slowly.

"My head is ringing a bit, but I should be fine," He assured.

"Good," A moment passed. Suki tilted her head, "Are you gonna take my hand, or not?"

"Oh, that's what you wanted?" Kakyoin asked, somewhat flustered.

"Well, yeah," The girl smiled, "I don't want to risk losing you in the tunnel, since we'll need to pick up the pace."

"Ah, right," With a hesitant hand, Kakyoin gently grasped the hand reaching out to him. The two then started at a brisk pace through the tunnel. As they ran, Suki summoned Knight of Cups to speak to the man behind her.

"A hole opened up under me, and you fell in after me, even though I pushed you back," Knight scratched the back of her neck, "Why did you follow me in?"

Hierophant Green emerged from his user and folded his arms.

"It's…coming back to me slowly…I remember…Making a net with Hierophant Green's tentacles…Falling down the hole with you…Ah, right."

"You remembered why?"

"I had to protect you."

…

"C-Come again?"

"It was an impulse. I don't act on those often, but, for some reason…that thought wouldn't leave my mind," There was a pause before he spoke up again, "My apologies, that was odd, wasn't it?"

"No, no, not at all!" Knight waved her hands dismissively, "I want to protect my friends, too! So, it's fine."

"Right."

Focusing on escape rather than explanations, the two continued to dash through the tunnel.

" _More than simple admiration," huh…?_ Suki thought, _Whit_ would _know…He's been monitoring me, so he would catch things like lingering looks or small blushes…How have_ I _not noticed, though? Am I just that dense?_ Suki paused her thoughts for a moment, _probably._

 _That said…_ She cast a glance at the honor student, _I meant what I told him. Kind, cool, strong…Attractive, which is a bonus, which I didn't tell him, but that would've made things awkward. I think he likes me…Do_ I _like_ him _?_

 _This feels somewhat spontaneous…_ The girl thought, biting her lip, _then again, the way I feel about Jotaro didn't reveal itself until he kissed me. Does that mean…if I kiss him, or he kisses me, I'll know? I had this weird feeling in my chest when he did it, so if Kakyoin did it, would I feel the same…? I can't just randomly kiss him, though. What if he doesn't actually like me back? That would complicate things. I value our friendship, and I've enjoyed being his student. I don't want to ruin that…_

"Suki, I think that's the exit, up there!"

Suki looked up at Kakyoin's words and saw a hole, carpeted with sand, leading to the night sky.

 _If it's_ dark _outside, then they must be…!_

"Come on, let's go!"

"W-Wait, slow down!"

Finally reaching the exit, they stopped dead in their tracks, letting the desert wind brush past their faces. Both took a moment to catch their breath, lungs heaving from exhaustion.

"Okay…How do…we get back…?" Suki asked between huffs and puffs.

"I can…find the others… from here," Kakyoin summoned Hierophant Green and sent him up into the sky once more. After looking around for a few moments, the user's eyes lit up.

"I see them," He directed, pointing in the direction in which the rest of the group stood somewhat scattered, "They all appear to be relatively unharmed. It seems as if they're looking for us."

"It's good to hear they're okay," Suki expressed with a sigh of relief, "Let's go ease their worries, shall we?"

The honor student smiled gently.

"After you."

Just then, the tunnel collapsed behind them, leaving nothing but a sandy expanse behind them. The two exchanged a concerned look, before Suki walked forward. A feeling of friction caused both youths to jolt. Looking down at their arms, they saw the source of the sensation.

Their hands were still joined.

Turning their gazes back up, their eyes locking, the two cast their eyes away and gently removed their hands.

"Sorry…" They murmured near simultaneously.

Shifting her attention back to where the tunnel's exit once was, she began to dig at the sand, shoveling as much of it away as she could.

"That tunnel must've been created by the same Stand user who pulled you into that hole. I wouldn't be surprised if it has been completely erased."

 _He did say the walls would fall in one hour…_ Suki recalled, _I guess we aren't returning unless_ he _wills it._

She stood, nodded, and began to walk, Kakyoin right beside her.

The two continued in silence for a small while, nothing but the sounds of feet weighed down by fatigue trudging through the thick sands echoing between them.

"Uhm, Kakyoin?"

"What is it?" He asked, shifting his attention to the girl.

"I'm sorry about earlier."

"I'm not sure I understand…" The redhead spoke, tilting his head, "What did you do?"

"Well, you said that you'd never felt more alive, being on this journey with everyone. I asked what you meant by that, and you seemed offended," She twirled a stray lock of hair between her fingers, "I wanted to do the same thing you're doing for me, listening to what you have to say, but I'm sorry if I pried too much."

Kakyoin lowered his eyes for a moment, shook his head and pulled his gaze back up to Suki's face.

"I can assure you, I was looking for the Stand user watching us. You didn't offend me in the slightest."

"Oh, that's good!" The girl smiled.

The two youths shifted their gazes forward once more.

"I…don't believe I've told anyone this. Keep it under your hat, alright?"

Suki pulled the brim of her hat down over her eyes.

"Mm-hmm."

Kakyoin chuckled lightly. After a moment, he continued to speak.

"I never truly had friends, for most of my life. It's not that I couldn't make friends, I just chose not to. No one could see Hierophant Green beside me, so I simply thought they couldn't understand me. I would see the other children write down the names of their friends, and I would wonder, 'How do people have someone who can understand them?' My own parents had each other, but even they felt distant, unrelatable. I felt…different, from everyone else…" The honor student smiled wistfully, "That is why I said this journey makes me feel alive. I'm finally with people who _can_ understand me."

Suki let her stare fall, as she processed his words.

 _Even I had my big brother and my mom by my side…_ She thought.

The girl stopped in her tracks, causing Kakyoin to turn with a quizzical look.

"What's the matter?"

Suki did not speak, as she walked up to the honor student slowly and wrapped her arms around him. The man blushed profusely, his body stiffening.

"S-Suki, what are you-!"

"I'm just showing you that you're right. You have friends now," She looked up at him and smiled gently, "And we're not going anywhere. Okay?"

Kakyoin appeared to turn these words over in his head slowly, before nodding and putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Yes, I can see what you're showing me. Thank you."

Despite his awkward reciprocation of the embrace, Suki felt comfortable up against the honor student. His uniform was still dusty from before, but she didn't mind in the slightest. All she cared about was how warm her friend was compared to the cool weather of the desert.

"A real angel…" She heard the man mumble.

That's _what he said earlier…_ Suki swallowed thickly, _he…really thinks that about me?_

"Heeeeeeeeey!" The two separated quickly upon hearing Polnareff's voice, not wishing for a repeat of that morning's events. The silver-haired man waved as he rushed over, an excited smile on his face.

"We saw Hierophant in the sky, and thought we'd come to you! The Sun is long gone, and the moon is here to stay!" He laughed.

Kakyoin chuckled lightly at his ally's enthusiasm, as he gestured to Suki to follow. She nodded and walked along behind him, finding comfort in the feel of the cool night air and the words of her friend.

* * *

Chapter Twelve – Angel Among Us

-END—

-TO BE CONTINUED-

* * *

 **As for what happened between Suki and Whit in the closet on the boat** **...Well, I'd like to think nothing happened, but one of my editors would like to imagine otherwise. XP**

 **I realize that not all of you may like the fact that I'm adding my own concepts to the mix of JoJo canon, as has been alluded to in this chapter. This is crazy, maybe even kind of stupid, and I can tell you that I never thought that I would be making up a mechanic like this when I first began to write this story...But, I won't lie when I say I'm happy I came up with this. It's amazing how much the overall structure of a story can change as you write it, I've realized. There are so many characters and concepts that I've come up with, that I could never have come up with at the beginning, when Suki was just starting out on her journey.**

 **I really have to thank you all for supporting this story so far. It means more to me than I can describe here right now.**

 **Hope you guys don't mind long chapters, because these next few are also gonna be quite thick. See you all next week for the next chapter!**

 **-BlueBow**


	14. Chapter 13 - (Fear) The Reaper

Chapter Thirteen – (Fear) The Reaper

 **WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by a line and another warning. You have been warned.**

 **WARNING**

 **How weird, I go ten whole chapters and a prologue with no sexy times happening, and then all of a sudden explicit content just busts down my door and confiscates my keyboard for this story. :/ Sex stuff ahead, my dear readers, reader discretion is advised.**

* * *

"The key to preventing calamity?" Joseph asked.

Suki nodded hesitantly. Shortly after they had reunited, she had listened to the recollection of how The Sun was defeated (Mr. Joestar seemed particularly baffled, while Polnareff and Jotaro shrugged as though it had been nothing special), and Kakyoin's own view of what had happened after falling down the hole. As she sat outside the tents with the others, she had pondered the information that had been thrust into her brain with little preparation.

 _He said the fewer people who know, the better, but…_ Suki thought deeply, _the Joestars are directly tied to Dio. I don't doubt that he's the bringer of calamity, in this equation. And, at this moment, not just the Joestars, but Polnareff and Kakyoin are also on the journey, willing to fight Dio at the end. They're tied to his fate, as well. Besides,_ she smiled contentedly, _I may have met Whit first, but that doesn't mean I trust him more than anyone else here._

Nodding to herself, the girl had then spoken up about what she had learned, detailing Whit's presence on their journey, and explaining what she had seen as soon as she had woken up. As expected, the reactions of her comrades were a mixture of concern and disbelief.

"So, that weird attendant we saw in the graveyard is Dio's eye, but he has some role he wants you to fulfill. Does that sound about right?" Jotaro clarified.

"Yeah, apparently so," The girl said with a sigh.

"Are you sure this isn't just some weird dream you had down there?" Polnareff probed.

"Believe me, I wish it was," Suki muttered, holding her head in her hand, "And, for the time being, you can believe me or not, that's your choice; however, I do have a way of calling him to me," At this, she removed the tiny envelope she had been keeping safe in her bag, "Opening this envelope calls him to me without fail. I asked him to give me pictures of what I saw in that cavern, so I can show you what I saw. Whit said he had to report to Dio, which is why I'm telling you this now. I don't know what he would do if he was observing me right at this moment, while I'm telling you everything he wanted me to keep secret, but I don't think it would end well for me or any of you. So, it needs to be hush-hush that you all know, got it?"

A long silence followed.

 _I feel like I'm taking crazy pills…_ Suki thought, her lips pursing, _everyone's staring at me like I'm nuts._

"With how that guy acted before, screaming about how he had more than one Stand, and how Dio was no lord of his, I wouldn't be surprised if he had followed us," Jotaro confessed.

"Wait, we're talking about that blond guy with the creepy grin, right?" Polnareff asked, "Wasn't that the same guy who gave you that gas mask in the same place?"

"The same," Suki agreed.

"Then, yeah, if you knew him before then, it seems like he's following you," The Frenchman admitted, cracking his knuckles, "It sounds like he needs to be taught some manners."

"Well, he _is_ keeping tabs on us, but I'm pretty sure he's an ally. After all," The girl locked eyes with Jotaro as she spoke, "Whit helped us get the upper hand against Enyaba. Not only did he give me a hint as to who the enemy Stand user was, but he also attacked that very same enemy Stand user. It would've been one thing, if he had outright killed her, preventing us from getting any information on Dio's Stand, but he managed to make it so we could simply knock her unconscious. He gave us an opportunity to acquire information about Dio. As insane as he might be, I at least believe that he isn't hostile."

"So, you are disbelieving of what he told you as well?" Kakyoin queried.

"Well, yeah. We may be a ragtag group of heroes, traveling halfway across the globe, fighting minions of a vampire king with thoughtform, and, sure, defeating the vampire in question will bring peace to the world. I don't doubt that," Suki clenched her fists in her lap, "But, Whit was acting like there's more to this. There's a greater power, that I apparently have, that is for something _after_ Dio…I _think_ …" She shook her head, "I may have grown up on fairy tales and fictional stories, but even _I_ have my limits of what I can believe."

"Hmmm…" Joseph hummed, folding his arms.

"Actually, I think I can believe the 'key to preventing calamity' part."

Everyone looked to the old man with surprised expressions.

"Y-You do?" Suki asked.

"Hey, old man, have you gone senile or something?" Jotaro asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Don't discredit me before I've had a chance to defend my case, Jotaro," Joseph smirked, "When I was younger, I and a few other Hamon users had to fight against three life forms, not too different from the vampire you know, Suki. In order to protect a very special object, the red stone of Aja, we had to fight these creatures. If they had gotten their hands on this stone, the world could very well have fallen to ruin. I asked one of my allies, the guardian of the stone, why we couldn't just smash it," His smirk turned somewhat wistful, "She told me that there was a legend saying that our enemy couldn't be beaten without the stone. I asked why, and she said even she didn't know, but still carried out her role as its guardian.

"I was skeptical, of course, and I even suggested smashing the damn thing a few times, even after that explanation. But, at one point, as my life flashed before my eyes in a losing battle against one of these life forms, the stone managed to save me, and it helped me defeat him. If it wasn't for that stone, well," He scratched his beard, "This world would be pretty different."

The rest of the group stared at Mr. Joestar with wide eyes, in utter disbelief.

Finally, his grandson spoke up.

"That's pretty crazy, old man, but it doesn't seem like you're lying…"

"So, you're saying that Suki may play a role in a legend?" Kakyoin asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well, not her, specifically," Turning to the girl, Joseph asked, "That Whit person, he mentioned how your necklace might be more powerful than even those ruins can understand, right?"

"Yeah…?"

"Then, maybe your necklace is a modern-day red stone of Aja. Dangerous in the hands of the enemy, but the key to preventing calamity in the hands of the heroes."

"…Huh," Suki spoke softly, folding her arms and tilting her head.

 _It's strange…_ She thought, _but hearing Mr. Joestar's story somehow makes mine seem a little more believable. If anything, I'd be more willing to believe that an object was blessed with a great power, rather than my own self being blessed with that same power._

"Gah, this is making my head hurt," Polnareff whined, holding his head in one hand, "I think I'm gonna head to bed."

With that, the Frenchman stood up and walked over to his tent.

"We should probably go to sleep, soon, too," Kakyoin suggested, yawning.

Jotaro nodded.

"I can't believe you've gone through something like that, Mr. Joestar…" Suki mused.

"Yeah. I can barely believe it sometimes myself," He shrugged, "But it happened."

"It's crazy, but I think it's too specific for you to be lying about it. Besides," The girl grinned sheepishly, "I'm thankful that you defended me. You could've just as easily thrown me under the bus and said you didn't believe me either."

"Yeah, you're right. I could've," The old man smirked.

 _Were you actually considering that…?_ Suki wondered.

"Either way," Joseph pointed to the envelope Suki still held, "You said we'll get more answers if we call on this Whit guy, right?"

She nodded.

"Then, we should wait."

"Huh? Why?"

"I have a friend in Egypt who I want to have hear this," Mr. Joestar explained as he turned his gaze skyward, "He might be able to shed some light on this issue."

After a moment, the girl nodded.

"Sounds good," She turned and waved, en route to her tent, "Night, all."

"Night."

Suki crawled into her tent and closed the flap behind her. Removing her hat with a sigh, she shuffled into her sleeping bag. A moment passed before she reached under her shirt and pulled out her necklace, running her thumb along the soft edges of the star.

 _A modern-day red stone of Aja, huh?_ Suki wondered, as she pulled her satchel closer, letting her amulet fall to the bottom of the bag. She pushed her bag back to its original position and turned onto her back, letting her eyes flutter shut.

 _What a world we live in._

* * *

The second night in the desert served only to remind the group that travel _did_ take time: no matter how fast they wanted to reach the village of Yarpline, they could neither magically make time flow slower, so as to reach their destination at a faster pace, nor simply fly over the terrain they had set out to cross.

The second night, much like the first, brought an ocean of stars to the sight of any who dared lose themselves in the scenery. Little sparks glittered softly against the dark blue background, illuminating the gritty sand in dull light.

At Joseph's order, once more, the group had taken a break from traveling during the day to sleep at night, preventing them from losing themselves in the dark dunes; however, not all found themselves embraced by the comforting blanket of sleep. Jotaro found himself sitting by the slowly dying fire, watching as its embers flickered and danced in the shadows. Much as he wanted to close his eyes and drift off, his mind was occupied with too many thoughts. Too many to sift through all in one night. Too many loose ends to tie that he couldn't pin down.

"Jotaro."

Looking to his side, he saw Kakyoin approaching from his tent, his body wrapped tightly in a white blanket. The honor student shuffled over quietly, his covering skimming the sand as he did so. He finally reached the delinquent, sitting down carefully, so as not to jostle his source of warmth too much.

"Aren't you cold?" He asked, tilting his head.

"I'm not cold," Jotaro sighed, "I just wish I could get some sleep."

"Didn't you mention a similar situation happening back in Singapore? Suki helped you then, didn't she?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine, though."

"If you say so."

The two stared into the fire for a moment.

"I wonder if she's alright."

"She got the blood transfusion without problems, right?"

"She did, and I have been keeping an eye on her eating habits, but…" Kakyoin closed his eyes and bowed his head contemplatively, "I have to wonder how well she's taking what happened yesterday."

"Hm."

"I was there. Unconscious, but the events did transpire in my vicinity. And yet…" The honor student's brow furrowed, "What does that man want with her?"

"You're worrying."

Kakyoin huffed a small laugh.

"I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

"All of us are worried. She's on guard, just like the rest of us. Don't worry about her."

"Hm, you sound as if you're telling that as much to yourself as you are to me," The redhead smirked as he spoke.

"…What gives you that idea?"

"Just a hunch. That said, though," Kakyoin turned his gaze skyward as he continued, "Am I right in thinking she isn't the only subject of your worries?"

"Someone's nosy."

"All right, all right, I'll stop," He refrained with a chuckle.

…

"I want to be someone you can rely on, Jotaro."

"The hell are you talking about? I already-"

"I know, but I want to help you in more than just fights. That's…That's all."

...

"You never did tell us why you wanted to come along so badly," Jotaro stated plainly, looking up at the stars.

"What do you mean? You helped me regain my senses. I owe my life to you. It's only natural that I would want to come along and help."

"'Only natural,' huh?" The delinquent asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kakyoin went silent.

"You don't have to-"

"No…It's fine," The honor student smiled gently, "I don't mind telling you."

A pause. Then…

"The moment I met Dio in Egypt…Was the most frightening moment of my life. I was so terrified, I couldn't even move. When I realized I was rooted to the spot, the paralysis made my hairs stand even more on end. And yet…And yet, he spoke to me so gently. He told me 'There is nothing to fear,' and 'Let's be friends.'"

The shuffle of cloth was heard as he tightened his cover around himself.

"I was relieved. I look back at that moment and curse every fiber of my being, that made me feel _relieved_. Giving in to that monster, bowing down to him, would let me live, I thought, and I was _comforted_ by that. Nothing…Nothing could be more humiliating. I couldn't forgive myself."

Kakyoin looked to Jotaro with a determined gleam in his eye.

"You gave me a second chance. A chance to redeem myself from the pathetic Kakyoin who attacked the weak, the pathetic Kakyoin who thought it in his best interest to beg for his life, and worship someone unworthy of the praise. I fear I might be unable to repay my debt to you, but I will try to, with everything that I am."

…

"So, that's why you want me to rely on you?"

"That's…yes, that is why."

…

"I've _been_ relying on you. And you've saved my life, too. All of our lives. I don't feel like you have a debt to repay me, but if it's what keeps you going, I won't argue," Jotaro expressed, as he turned to Kakyoin.

"Make sure you stick around…Alright?"

Kakyoin swallowed thickly, as his eyes wavered. After a moment, he nodded.

"Alright."

Jotaro put out his hand, a silent request. A moment of hesitation passed, before Kakyoin took his fellow student's hand, a red tinge coating his cheeks and a smile turning up his lips as he shook his hand.

"Thank you, Jotaro."

* * *

" _Finally_ ," Suki muttered, setting her bag down on one of the hotel beds. Jotaro sighed, sitting on the bed furthest from the door, laying back against the pillows.

After too much time spent dealing with nothing but sand, the group had finally arrived in Yarpline the next evening. The hotel rooms were quite modest, but, at the very least, they had running water available to them. Not to mention, one could not underestimate the value of a mattress and sheets on this long-winded journey.

Suki yawned and stretched.

"You've been yawning all day."

The girl turned to her roommate, smiling sheepishly.

"I just…didn't sleep that well."

"Nightmares?"

Suki was silent for a spell, sitting on her bed, facing the delinquent.

"…Yeah."

A long silence followed. The girl cast a glance at the man, and locked eyes with him, as he stared at her.

 _He looks expectant…_ Suki pondered, _does he want me to ask him for help?_

She twiddled her fingers, losing herself in thought.

 _I've been having a lot of mixed feelings lately, most accompanied by a dull nausea…_ The girl thought, _but, most of all…The only time I've felt confident enough to touch myself was right after that nightmare, and I was only checking something…_

Suki heard the disapproving squeal of springs, as Jotaro re-situated himself on the bed, placing his feet on the floor, sitting across from the girl. She scratched her cheek, casting her eyes to the ground.

 _Jeez, I know you want to do something, but don't pressure me…_ She swung her gaze up to her friend, making eye contact, _I trust this man with my life. I don't know if…if these feelings are just a result of him saving me, or if they came on through stress, or what, but…_

"Remember what I told you?" He asked.

 _If I can trust him with my life, it's…not too much of a stretch to trust him with something else…_

"You said you would help me…right?" The man nodded. Suki bit her lip, trying to phrase her question into a valid request.

"This'll sound weird, but…" She gulped, a blush lighting up her cheeks.

"Could you…touch me?"

Jotaro blinked.

"That's what you want from me?"

After a moment, Suki nodded.

"You want me to do what that bastard did, and you think you'll get over this that way. Does that sound right?"

The girl flinched.

 _This guy's_ way _too good at figuring things out…_

"You're…the only one I can trust with this. This kind of…therapy."

"Therapy. That's what it is," Jotaro spoke in a deadpan tone.

"I-I told you it was weird…" Suki wrapped her arms around herself, "I'm sorry, forget I said anything…"

"You don't trust anyone else?"

"It's…not that…" Suki mumbled, "I took a gamble telling Kakyoin, and that's only because he insisted."

"You told Kakyoin?"

 _Shit._

Jotaro merely fiddled with the brim of his hat.

"I'm not mad. You can trust him, I know that," The man folded his arms, "What do you mean you 'took a gamble,' though?"

Suki let her head drop slightly.

"The others…they'll think I'm worthless. I let myself be used by the enemy. I had no control over my own body, and that makes me sick. I'm a nervous wreck, and I need to fix it…!" Suki bunched her hair in her fists and groaned.

 _Goddammit…_ She cursed inwardly, _why am I so_ weak… _?_

"Do you really think this will work?"

"I…I don't know," Suki shook her head, "But, I want to try. And, if anything, you're probably pent up, too, so you can-"

"I'm not using you like that," He asserted, "You're the only one who needs help with anything. Don't worry about me."

"So…" Suki clasped her hands in her lap, "You're…okay with this?"

The man sighed.

"This is only for your recovery, right? No ulterior motives?"

Suki shook her head.

 _At the end of the day, whether I like him more than I did or not, he's still a friend that I trust. At that point, what he'll do is an act of necessity, not intimacy…_ She pondered, _this is fine._

"We can do this later tonight. Alright?"

A moment passed before the girl nodded.

* * *

Lying in bed that night, with no light to see, Suki lay wide awake on her side in bed, wearing a t-shirt and boxers to sleep.

 _He said, "later tonight" …_ Suki thought, _I'd be lying if I said I'm not anxious about this…But, I have to take steps to conquer this…I need my damn confidence back._

Suddenly, the girl felt the bed give under more weight than just her own, as Jotaro shuffled in right behind her.

 _Okay, deep breaths…_

"If you want me to stop, tell me," It was less of an order, and more of a warning.

Suki swallowed thickly.

"Okay."

* * *

 **WARNING - If you are NOT okay with reading explicit material, skip this section to the second line, after the one below this warning.**

* * *

"You…saw what he did, right?"

"…No."

Suki huffed out a sigh, less irritated and more dreading of having to explain what happened.

"Okay…first it was…my chest…"

The man nodded and wrapped a heavy arm around the girl's waist. She shivered as he moved in closer, his torso making contact with her spine. Slowly, he snuck a hand up her shirt, his fingertips unintentionally grazing her stomach, finally reaching her breast.

"Mm-nnn…" The girl emitted a noise through gritted teeth.

"You don't want them to hear, do you?"

"No, I don't," Suki muttered, covering her mouth with her hand.

The small mounds of her chest seemed to fit all too well in the delinquent's large hands, as he began to grope her. His movements were not nearly as rough as her previous assailant's, but the touch still dug up memories Suki only wanted to bury.

That snicker that only dripped of malicious intent echoed in her ear, as she squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip.

 _It's okay, it's okay…_ She coaxed herself, _Jotaro won't hurt you._

Compared to her own hands, the feeling of Jotaro's hands on her was a foreign one, but, after calming down, not an unwelcome one. The sensitive skin of her chest could detect every inch of the battle-worn skin of his palms. As a few minutes passed, the only movement was his handling of her breasts in uncharacteristically gentle motions.

The girl panted shakily as the man behind her halted his movements. A long, silent moment passed before she spoke up.

"I-I didn't say…to stop…" She took his hand and guided it from her breast to the hem of her boxers, pulling at the elastic waistband, "It was…down here, next."

Jotaro made no move to continue.

"I'm f-fine…Please, keep…keep going…Jotaro…"

With a short sigh, he gently pushed his hand into her boxers, into her underwear, and pressed his fingers against her.

"Wh-aah…" Suki squirmed, but did not give the order to stop. Jotaro began to stroke along her slit with calloused fingertips.

" _My, my, it seems like someone's enjoying this…"_

 _N-No…_ Suki denied inwardly, sucking in air between her teeth, _get…Get out of my head…_

" _You're so_ sensitive _…"_

 _No…Stop…Stop, please…!_

* * *

All at once, Jotaro removed his hand and created distance between himself and the girl. Startled, Suki looked back with a questioning gaze.

"You said to stop."

 _I…I did?_ Suki wondered, _I thought I had only thought those words…_

The delinquent sat up slowly and began to make his way out from under the sheets. He was stopped by a small, yet firm hand on his wrist.

"Please…Could you…" Suki refused to make eye contact as she made her request, "Could you stay?"

Jotaro cocked an eyebrow.

"I feel…cold and alone, by myself. But, with you…I don't. I know I've already asked you for a lot today, so, it's-"

He sighed.

"Good grief. Hang on," Jotaro removed Suki's hand from his wrist and got up, padding over to the bathroom and turning the light on, shutting the door behind himself. The girl waited with wide eyes in her bed, as she listened to the sound of running water. Several minutes went by before she huffed and turned over in bed.

 _What am I doing…_ She wondered, _I think that may have helped a little, but I made him touch me, and I don't think he got anything out of it…I know he said he would help me, but I took advantage of that…_

Bringing a hand up, she touched her lips, dry from the desert.

 _That kiss…It was all for show, but…I still…I still can't get over it…_ She thought, _…I want him to do it again. I want him…to touch me more…_

The sound of the bathroom door creaking open snapped Suki out of her thoughts. She heard the heavy footsteps of her roommate before weight was added to her bed once more. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Jotaro had indeed crawled back into bed with her, the defined muscles of his back visible under his tank top. The thug said nothing as he breathed quietly, his body rising and falling. It was then that Suki realized the man had removed his hat, revealing short, curly dark hair, difficult to colorize in the darkness of the room. Even though the girl was curious as to what he looked like from the front while hatless, she knew she had already asked enough of her friend, and merely decided to try and sleep.

The warmth of the man next to her allowed her to easily slip into a comforting, dreamless sleep.

* * *

The morning of the next day had arrived, and the arrangements to take a Cessna out of the village were set and prepared. The only question on everyone's minds, as they waited outside the hotel, was a simple one.

"Dammit, Kakyoin, where _are_ you?" Polnareff mumbled, casting his gaze about the entrance to the hotel.

"How long did he say he would be?" Suki asked.

"Well, actually, he was still asleep when I left, but I thought he would be up and about not too long after…" The Frenchman responded.

"He's probably still asleep, then," Jotaro mused.

"Weird, I don't remember him being such a late sleeper…" Joseph wondered aloud, scratching his beard, "Anyway, Jotaro and I can go take care of getting the plane. Polnareff, you and Suki go get Kakyoin, and meet us at the airstrip."

"Can do!" Suki nodded.

"See you in a bit," Polnareff gave a short wave as he headed back inside, the girl following close behind.

"Maybe he's having a dream about you, and doesn't want to wake up," The man suggested with a mischievous grin.

"Pff, _sure_ , Polnareff, sure," Suki laughed, turning the corner in the hall, "We're probably wearing flower crowns and flying pegasi into the sunset, for all I know."

"I'm serious," He spoke with a snicker, "Being around the bend a few times myself, I can tell when someone wants to get intimate. I just thought I would warn you that he has it _bad_."

Suki rolled her eyes.

 _First Whit, now Polnareff,_ Suki mused, _I've thought about it, and don't think I would mind if he actually saw me romantically, but I have had it up to here with these motherfucking shippers on my motherfucking journey. Really, I wouldn't be surprised if it was only…_

"Simple admiration."

"Huh?"

Suki looked up at the man as they walked, smiling contentedly.

"He said he admires me. At the most, I'm sure he just sees me as a very close friend, or maybe something a little closer, like you see me," Suki put her arms behind her head as she continued, "Even so, with how much you two bicker, I'm surprised how much you're advocating this."

"He can be a bit of a killjoy sometimes, but Kakyoin's a good guy," Polnareff put his arm across Suki's back and patted her on the shoulder, "I'd trust him to be good to you."

The girl shuddered and stepped away from the Frenchman, dropping her arms to her sides and rubbing her elbow. Polnareff's expression grew concerned as he stopped.

"Are you okay, Suki?"

She cast her eyes away, unwittingly reminded of what she had experienced only a few days prior.

 _No, it's fine. Breathe,_ Suki comforted, _Polnareff isn't after you like_ he _was. Relax. He won't come after you again. Jotaro made sure of that._

Suki took a deep breath through her nose before looking up at the silver-haired man with a small smile.

"I'm fine. I just…remembered a nightmare that I'd had the other night."

A moment passed before the man responded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Suki shook her head.

"It's fine. It happened, and it hurt. But, I'm not gonna let it take over me."

 _As long as I'm with everyone, I don't have to worry about this. Whether they know about what happened or not, they still want to keep me safe._

The girl took a deep breath and turned her determined gaze forward.

 _I am fine._

Despite his quizzical look, Polnareff kept walking towards the room, turning as he reached the door and removing his key.

As he unlocked and quietly cracked the door to his room open, the sound of sheets being tossed this way and that reached the ears of both people, the two exchanging a concerned look as they heard a distinct groan.

"Do you want him to be dreaming about me _now_?" Suki asked, raising her eyebrows.

Polnareff ignored her, sighing as he slowly inched the door open more, covering the opening with his body, shielding the honor student from Suki's view as he attempted to get a better look at what was happening. Startled, the Frenchman swung the door open the rest of the way and entered the room, quickly walking up to the side of Kakyoin's bed. Following him, Suki saw the redhead tossing and turning under the covers. He panted as his violent movements shook the bed, his face contorted in fear. Suki's eyes widened as she moved to the other side of the bed.

"Man, must be one crazy nightmare he's having…" Polnareff mused.

The girl shook her head.

 _No…this can't be a nightmare,_ she thought, _Mama's lessons about dreams, and what they do to the human body, have always stuck with me. This is completely unnatural, but one thing is for certain._

"We need to wake him up, quick," Suki stated, her face tightening, "No one should ever have these experiences in sleep."

Polnareff blinked.

"You make it sound like he's gonna die if we don't. Relax, he's just having a bad dream," Polnareff expressed, waving a hand dismissively, "But, we do need to wake him up."

"Right," Suki responded.

 _We need something that will drag him out quick._

Without a word, Suki lifted the covers near the end of the bed.

"What are you doing?"

"The bottoms of the feet are one of the most sensitive parts of the human body. Making contact with them always bolted me and my brother awake, without fail back home," The girl explained.

 _He'll get dragged right out, but I have no idea if he'll react as violently as I or my brother would,_ Suki pondered.

The girl quickly brought her hand under the sheets and poked at the sole of Kakyoin's foot. Immediately, the honor student bolted forward in bed and loosed a primal scream of terror.

"Kakyoin!" The two leaned forward, trying to get the bedded man's attention as they called out to him, "Kakyoin!"

The honor student gasped, casting his eyes about the room, as though not expecting to be in that location. His face was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and the previous fear that had twisted his facial features faded into dull confusion.

Suki breathed a sigh of relief, as Polnareff leaned back.

"Come on, give me a break!" Polnareff laughed in relief, as Kakyoin's gaze slid to the man, "Stop freaking out and shaking the bed like you're in _The Exorcist_. You scared me to death."

"Well, that wasn't his fault," Suki corrected, as the honor student looked to her.

"Where are we?" Kakyoin asked.

"Don't ask dumb questions," The Frenchman clapped once as he strolled over to the closed window, "Come on, get up already."

Opening the window, sunlight quickly brightened the room, as the honor student shielded his eyes with a hand. Suki glanced out at the window.

"Wow, I didn't know you had a clear view of the air strip from here…"

"Once we eat, we're flying outta here. Today looks like another hot one," Polnareff commented from beside the window.

Kakyoin took a deep breath.

"I had a terrifying dream," Suki looked over as the redhead spoke, watching as he rubbed at his eyes, "It was truly terrifying."

 _Poor Kakyoin,_ Suki's lips fell into a sympathetic frown, _it must've been really scary, if it brought him to tears…_

"Ooh, what did you dream about? Let's hear it!" Polnareff coaxed excitedly, walking back over to the bed.

"Well, I can't remember," Kakyoin expressed, bringing a hand to his head, "I've forgotten it all."

"What?"

"Huh…"

"Anyway, it was terrifying," Moving his hand to cover his eyes, the honor student continued, "You two saved me when you woke me up."

"Man, don't say weird stuff like that," Polnareff sighed, picking up his bag and walking to the door, "We're leaving. Hurry up and get ready."

Suki moved to follow the silver-haired man, but stopped upon seeing Kakyoin stare at his left hand. Blood dripped from what looked to be a freshly-made cut in his skin.

"My hand is cut," The man brought his hand up, examining the cut in more detail, "When did that happen?"

Casting her eyes from the cut to the student and back again, the girl pushed out her open-palmed hands slightly, in a silent plea to stay.

"Wait right here."

Dashing to the door, Suki poked her head out, relieved to see Polnareff hadn't exited the hallway yet.

"Polnareff!" The Frenchman turned at his name, "Could you wait for us in the lobby? We'll be out soon."

After a moment, the man grinned mischievously.

"Sure, just don't take _too_ long in there. It's not nice to keep other people waiting."

"Oh, would you shut up?" Suki teased, sticking her tongue out. The man laughed, as he continued down the hallway, turning the corner at the end.

Nodding to herself, the girl walked back into the room, seating herself on the side of the bed, on Kakyoin's left side. She pulled her satchel up into her lap and fished out her bandages and antiseptic, as the honor student looked on curiously. Suki reached out to him with a comforting smile, her palm up in a coaxing gesture.

"Here, give me your hand. We can't have that getting infected."

"Ah, right," He agreed, slowly placing his hand in hers.

Looking from the small bottle she held to the cut, she shook her head and placed the bottle back in the bag.

"The wound's pretty small, so just some water and bandages should do," She murmured as she disappeared into the bathroom, picking up a clean washcloth and running warm water over it. Padding back into the room, she saw that Kakyoin hadn't moved an inch since she left. Re-seating herself, the girl took the honor student's hand once more and gently dabbed the wet washcloth over the cut.

 _That's…odd,_ Suki wondered, her eyes narrowing slightly, _this cut looks like it was made from…some sort of curved weapon. It's not just some ordinary papercut._

"Hey, Kakyoin," the girl looked up from her work as she asked, "Is there anything sharp under the sheets?"

He shook his head. Looking about the room, Suki was able to discern that there was nothing within his reach from the bed that could've cut him. Even so, any objects that could possibly injure him most certainly would not have left a mark like the one in the side of his hand.

"I…really do have to thank you for earlier," Kakyoin spoke, casting his eyes away, "I don't even remember the content of the dream, but I'm grateful for you pulling me out."

"That…reminds me…" Suki began, as she placed the wet cloth in her lap and picked up her roll of bandages, "You don't…typically have night terrors like this, do you?"

"Night _terrors_?" Kakyoin asked with a tilted head, "Are those much like nightmares?"

Suki cast her eyes about, recalling the similarities and contrasts between the two. Finally, she shook her head.

"They both occur during sleep, and they're both things that no one looks forward to when it's time for bed," Suki explained, beginning to cover the cut, "But, I can assure you that they're completely different."

"How so?"

"Well, for one thing, when you're having a _nightmare_ , all of your muscles are paralyzed, save for the ones that control your eyes and the ones used for breathing."

"Right, I _do_ remember learning that…"

"But, _night terrors_ are a different beast. People who have them thrash about, sit up and scream, cry and sweat…All of those things you see in movies when people have nightmares, they aren't having nightmares. Those are night terrors. Not to mention, people who have night terrors don't recall a lot of what they dreamt about, perhaps forgetting _everything_ they experienced, whereas people have a much clearer image of _nightmares_ , and are able to remember them much more clearly."

"I see…" Kakyoin looked up as Suki let go of his hand, replacing her bandages back in her bag, "Suki, how do you know so much about this?"

She smiled.

"My mom taught me about dreams and nightmares a while back. I don't know what it is about them, but I just think they're really fascinating," The girl looked up at the ceiling as she reminisced, "The brain can conjure some really interesting images, images it might not be able to make during the day. These images can serve as a record for how a person is feeling, or what's bothering them, at a certain time. That's why I write down what I see in a journal. I want that record."

Her smile fell, as she hunched forward and brought a hand to her chin, biting her thumb.

"But, still, this is really weird…" She turned to the man sitting under the covers, "You haven't been experiencing these since you were a kid, have you?"

Kakyoin twirled his stray strand of hair about his fingers as he contemplated her question.

"I don't recall ever having a dream that I could remember _nothing_ about…Why do you ask?"

"Well, I may have said 'people' earlier, but, for the most part, only children have night terrors, and, even then, it's an uncommon occurrence. Very rarely, the disorder that carries the night terrors can carry over past adolescence, but that's even _more_ uncommon than their existence in the first place…"

Locking eyes with the honor student, Suki leaned forward and began pelting him with questions.

"You haven't been having trouble sleeping lately, have you?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Any medications that affect the brain that you might be taking?"

"I don't take any medication."

"How about a fever?"

"No fever."

"Hmm," Suki hummed, unconvinced. Gently, she reached out and pressed the back of her hand to Kakyoin's forehead. He swallowed.

"Well, you're not hot," Suki stated, replacing her hand on her chin, "Night terrors _can_ be brought on by severe stress or trauma, but that's still acknowledging the fact that night terrors are happening to you, a non-adolescent."

 _There's that cut, too,_ Suki thought, _that's bothering me…_

"This does appear to be an odd situation…" Kakyoin mused, "But, we've seen multiple bizarre occurrences on our journey already. I don't believe this would be too much of a stretch for the imagination."

Suki sighed.

"Yeah, it might just be paranoia…" Suki scratched her head with a sheepish grin, "Well, I'll let you get ready."

"Thank you, for this," Kakyoin said, raising his bandaged hand slightly.

The girl smiled as she stood at the door.

"No problem! See you in a bit!"

* * *

"Jotaro and Mr. Joestar have already headed to the plane. We're gonna travel 500 kilometers today," Polnareff spoke as the three exited the hotel.

"That's quite a-"

Suddenly, a scream was heard to their left. Moving their gazes to the source of the noise, the two men and one girl noticed a small boy crying and shaking.

"My dog! My dog…is dead!" The child pointed, directing the group's attention to the corpse of a dog sitting in front of a nearby building, "Who would do such a thing?"

Suki bit her lip and let her eyes fall to the ground, as she shook her head.

"How horrible…"

"A dog…?" Suki turned to see Kakyoin thinking aloud to himself, bringing a hand to his head in thought, "A dog…I could have sworn I saw a dead dog not long ago."

The girl tilted her head in confusion.

"It's awful, but it has nothing to do with us," Polnareff explained, as he began to walk off towards the air ship, "Let's go."

"Uhm, actually…" Suki started, rubbing her elbow, "I want to pay my respects. Sorry, could I catch up with you in a little while?"

The two men exchanged a look, before Kakyoin nodded.

"Just don't take too long, alright?" Polnareff asked.

"I won't."

With that, the Frenchman and honor student left for the air strip, as the girl turned and made her way over to the dog.

 _I feel sick,_ Suki thought, _the poor thing didn't deserve this, and I don't want to spend more time dwelling on the dog's death than I normally would; however, Kakyoin's reaction to the corpse was…unnatural. It was almost like…he'd seen_ this _specific dog before, dead. Plus…_

As the girl drew nearer to the animal, against the twisting, turning feeling in her gut, she donned her gas mask and examined the fatal wound in its head.

On closer inspection, it looked almost like a sword had been thrust into the side of the dog's head; however, the entry wound was longer than the exit wound, and both wounds were very thin, as though they had been made with different weapons, or the weapon used had a smaller tip than body.

 _This wound…looks too big to be made by a regular knife, or even a sword…_ Suki mused, putting a hand to her chin, _in addition, there's no sign that the weapon was_ removed _…The wound looks like the weapon was just left there. The surrounding skin and muscle doesn't make it look like the weapon was pulled back out after being shoved in, but there is no weapon to be found._

Though she didn't like to admit it, spending time as an assistant to Dio for a significant period of time, or what felt like one, did give the girl a bit of background information as to what weapons make what wounds. The monster was not against torture, nor was he against having a person like Suki on clean-up duty.

 _This weapon…_ Suki swallowed and held up the dog's head, careful not to touch any bloody areas, looking closely at the wound, despite the feeling of bile rising in her throat, _was it…it looks like the wound was made with a curved weapon…Kakyoin's cut looked like it was made with a curved weapon, too, right…? Were they in the same place at the same time…? If he had gone out last night and received the wound then, it wouldn't have been so fresh, right? That, and he would've_ clearly _remembered whether he's seen this dog or not…I think…There's only one explanation for these bizarre occurences…_

Finally finishing her examination, Suki turned her head to see the small boy looking at her tearfully. He flinched upon seeing her with the gas mask on. The girl removed the gas mask and replaced it in her satchel, resituating herself into a crouching position, locking eyes with the boy.

"Don't worry," Suki smiled, "I'll find who did this to your dog. I'll make sure he knows what he did wrong."

"R-Really?" The boy sniffled.

She nodded.

"Really. Everything will be just fine."

* * *

"I said this would be dangerous…" Joseph muttered, as he donned his shades and headset in the pilot's seat of the Cessna.

"Don't worry, Mr. Joestar," Polnareff assured, as he knocked on the wall of the plane, "No one would send their Stand after us in the air…We even made sure the plane itself wasn't a Stand."

Jotaro adjusted his hat as the plane began to pick up speed along the runway.

"I'm more worried about the Old Man's flying than enemy Stands. That, and…" The thug cast his gaze down to Suki, seated sideways across his lap. Sighing, he continued in a sardonic tone, "Clearly safety is your first priority, old man."

"Can someone explain to me why this vehicle doesn't have seatbelts? _Anywhere_?" Suki asked nervously, biting her thumb, "Or, at least, why I _can't_ sit in the back?"

"Nothing against you, but you might kick the baby," Joseph explained.

Suki pursed her lips and turned to look at the small infant in question. The child looked no more than half a year old, with short black skin, large ears, and a red headscarf. He was dressed in blue baby clothes, and appeared to be sleeping soundly between Kakyoin and Polnareff in the back.

Thankfully, it had not taken long for Joseph to explain the situation. The only reason the baby was accompanying them was because he had a fever and needed to be rushed out of Yarpline to see a doctor. If the group had refused to take the baby along, they would've had to wait another day to take the only working Cessna out of the village, which was sub-optimal.

Turning back to the pilot, Suki asked another question.

"And I can't find a little hole to sit in in the cargo hold because…?"

Jotaro looked at the girl with a cocked eyebrow.

"Look, all the sleeping bags are back there, I'd at least have _some_ cushioning if we hit turbulence, or some such!" She defended.

"Don't worry about it."

Suki looked up at Jotaro with an unconvinced expression.

"You sure?"

The man fiddled with the brim of his hat.

"It's fine. It's only for a few hours."

After a moment, the girl nodded and turned her gaze to look out the front window of the plane, the fluffy clouds disappearing behind the vehicle before Suki could register any shapes in the white.

* * *

Suki estimated that about a half hour had passed before she heard Polnareff yawn loudly.

"I always get so tired when I get on a plane. Sorry, Mr. Joestar, but I'm gonna nap for about 30 minutes."

"Sure," Joseph allowed.

 _Man…I_ wish _I could fall asleep…_ Suki thought, _what happened this morning has me a bit on edge, though._

The girl pored over the connection Kakyoin had to the dead dog outside the building, folding her arms and closing her eyes in thought.

 _It's almost like…Kakyoin and the dog were attacked in the same strike. If they were, what circumstances would've led to that…? A Stand user attack, of course, but under what conditions?_

Suddenly, the girl felt a distinct chilling sensation slink down her spine, as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Her eyes widened.

"J-Jotaro, Suki, do you feel that?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah. I feel it," Jotaro responded, his eyes turned forward.

"Mm-hmm," Suki nodded.

 _Is…_ Is _there a Stand on this plane…? But…I thought that…_ Suki shook her head as she lost herself in her ponderings, _how and when could they have boarded? Why wouldn't we have noticed him or her until now…?_

"Polnareff. Wake up, Polnareff."

Suki was snapped out of her thoughts by Joseph calling to the silver-haired man in the backseat, throwing a wad of crumpled paper at him. Polnareff stirred and cracked his eyes open ever-so-slightly.

"Polnareff, the baby's wet himself. Change his diaper."

Out of the corner of her eye, Suki saw Jotaro cast a brief glance back at the infant before looking forward again.

 _Are we just…going to let that lie…?_ Suki wondered, looking back to the baby, _that feeling…that sensation of a powerful Stand coming into effect…It's not there anymore, but we can't just act like nothing happened._

Casting her gaze about, Suki surveyed the situation.

 _This…isn't like one of those public flights, where you can get up and walk around safely…We must be on guard, waiting for something to happen…But, how wise is it, to just wait and continue to fly?_

"Hey, are you awake, Polnareff? The diaper! Change the diaper!" Joseph raised his voice slightly, trying to get the Frenchman's attention.

"All right…" Polnareff grumbled sleepily, "I feel like I had a terrifying dream…But I don't remember what happened in it. I've forgotten…"

"Once you change his diaper, you can go finish that dream. I won't wake you again," Joseph reassured, keeping his attention directed to the sky sprawling out in front of him.

"Again…" Suki murmured, "But, this is…even weirder…"

"Hm?" Jotaro let his gaze drift to the girl in his lap, quirking an eyebrow.

"Aw come on, Mr. Joestar, this is-!"

Choosing to ignore Polnareff and Mr. Joestar's small argument about the baby, Suki looked up at the delinquent and began to explain what she had experienced that morning with Kakyoin, and how it related back to what she knew about nightmares and night terrors.

"See, with a night terror, it makes sense for the dreamer to flail about, and then not remember their dream, but Polnareff didn't seem to be having a night terror at all. In fact, he wasn't even asleep long enough to have a regular dream. Even so, right after waking up, he should have had _some_ remnants of what he had experienced in his dream. This is all just so…odd…"

"You think it's an enemy Stand user?"

 _At least_ he's _kept his wits about him…_ Suki thought, nodding.

"Yeah. These circumstances are just too…weird."

"You sure do know a lot about dreams and sleep."

"Hm," Suki hummed, "I may not be too smart, but I pride myself on the knowledge I _do_ have."

The man sighed.

"You're a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them."

"H-Huh?" Suki asked. She locked eyes with him, and saw he was sincere. The girl cast her eyes away as she continued to speak, "But, I do stupid things all the time. And, half the time, you call me an idiot. Where is this coming from?"

"You make stupid mistakes, but you aren't stupid."

"That's…possible?"

"Yes."

Suki exhaled a huff of air, leaning against the wall of the plane.

"Okay, well, if I'm not stupid, then what am I?"

"I don't feel obligated to answer that."

"But you said," Suki mimed pulling a hat down further over her eyes, as she deepened her voice, letting it scratch against her throat, "'You're a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them.'"

Jotaro narrowed his eyes.

"I don't sound like that."

Suki smirked mischievously.

"Regardless, don't you think that would prompt me to ask what things I _am_?"

The thug turned his head and pulled his hat lower, as a faint red tint colored his cheeks.

"That's-"

"Stop! Stop it!" Kakyoin yelled, his voice strained with terror.

"What's the matter, Kakyoin?" Jotaro turned and looked to Kakyoin in the backseat, as Suki joined her gaze with his. The honor student was flailing about wildly, his eyes closed in slumber.

"Hey!" Polnareff yelped, as Kakyoin accidentally smacked his shoulder.

"Is this another night terror?" Suki pondered.

"What's going on?" Joseph asked.

"Stop! Stop! Stop it!"

With that seemingly futile cry to stop, the honor student reeled his leg back and nailed Mr. Joestar in the cheek, causing him to be shoved brutally into the steering mechanism. The mechanism was thrust in and turned violently.

"Crap!" The pilot yelled.

The plane swerved into a nosedive, spinning and spinning in its descent.

"I can't control it!" Joseph cried out.

"Hey, are we going to crash?" Jotaro asked much more calmly than one would expect in the process of a plane crashing.

"Stop!" Kakyoin screamed in fear.

"Kakyoin, what the hell is wrong?" Polnareff asked, to no avail, "He was like that this morning, too!"

"Wake him up!" Suki ordered, "He's experiencing a night terror!"

"Just calm him down!" Mr. Joestar affirmed, as he desperately attempted to readjust the yoke.

"Old man, hurry up and regain control!" Jotaro yelled, bracing himself against the plane, "We're going to crash!"

Quickly, Suki slunk down into the small space in front of Jotaro's seat, curling up into a ball and covering her head.

"The hell are you doing? It's dangerous down there. You'll hit your head," The thug reprimanded.

"Well, tell me where in the plane it's _not_ dangerous!"

"There are safer options."

"Like what?!"

Jotaro sighed and stopped bracing against the plane for a split second, spent yanking Suki up into his lap again and wrapping an arm around her, bracing the other against the wall of the vehicle once more.

"Like this."

Suki froze.

"A-Ah…"

This new positioning was not the same from the calm time before the vehicle had started spiraling out of control. Instead of being seated across Jotaro's legs, like before, her posterior was pressed directly against his-

 _How is he_ not _fazed by this?!_ Suki thought as her face heated past a boiling point.

"What are you doing?!"

"Hurry up and level us out."

"Stop fussing! I'm a man who doesn't know panic. I'm working on that right now!"

"What's wrong, old man? We're crashing!"

Completely unable to differentiate voices and identities and incapable of sifting through her raging cesspool of thoughts, feeling these moments were indeed her last, Suki turned and latched on to the man behind her as tight as her arms would hold him. She squeezed her eyes shut.

At a surprisingly fast rate, the girl felt his warmth course through her, as she noticed her noisy mind begin to quiet down, a rush of calm washing over her like a tidal wave. Finally able to form a cohesive thought, she voiced an idea that came to her in the heat of the moment.

"Can anyone affect the plane with their Stand?!"

A microscopic pause passed before Joseph yelled in realization.

"I'll control it with Hermit Purple!"

The old man then extended his hands toward the yoke, letting the thorny purple vines twist their way through the machinery. As quickly as the nosedive had begun, the plane finally righted and pulled back up from impending death.

"I did it! I got control back just in time!"

"A close one…" Polnareff expressed.

"Oh, God…" Suki slowly retracted her arms from around her captive, sitting back up and pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes. Surprisingly, no tears fell as she only laughed shakily, "Oh, _God_ …ha…haha…"

Feeling contact on her head, Suki looked up to see Jotaro examining her stoically, but she could see concern in his cold blue eyes.

"That was…That was…" Suki murmured incoherently.

"Did you all see that?! How do you like my flying now, huh?!"

"Can…Can we just land this thing soon, please?" Suki begged.

"Hey."

Everyone turned to see Jotaro's gaze pointed forward. Though he made no gesture to follow his stare, the rest of the group looked in the same direction to see a pair of palm trees that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. The only thing the party heard as the plane smashed into the arbors was the sound of Joseph screaming in shock.

"So, this…this plane crash…" Suki spoke in disbelief, her mind completely shot.

Jotaro finished her thought.

"This is actually happening?"

* * *

"Hey, Mr. Joestar!" Suki called out, poking her head out of the door of the crashed plane, directing her voice to the old man feeding the fire, "The radio still works! Should we send out an SOS with it?"

Night had fallen since their crash, and the group had thankfully been able to salvage most of their luggage and valuables, considering the distance between the plane and the ground had significantly decreased between their nosedive and eventual righting. Jotaro looked up at the girl as he strolled back to remove the other sleeping bags.

"That'll mean Dio can find us, but…"  
"It can't be helped," Joseph sighed, standing, "Let's call for rescue. We'll do it for the baby."

Suki hopped out of the vehicle and allowed the old man access to the radio, as she made her way back to the campfire.

 _I think I need to have another chat with Kakyoin…_ Suki mused, biting her thumb, _two night terrors in a row, on the_ same _day…I_ know _he was telling the truth about his sleeping habits, so there has to be some sort of Stand user involved…But, the only culprit I can think of it being is…_

Looking up upon reaching the fire, she saw Kakyoin had made his way over to the baby's basket. His stance seemed entirely different from the person she knew him to be, as he reached down and grabbed the infant by the collar of his shirt. The baby began to cry, as Suki felt her voice die in her throat. Turning her gaze to a color contrast that caught her eye, the girl saw that deep, red gashes stood out on the honor student's left forearm. From a distance, Suki could see the cuts formed to create letters on his pale skin, spelling out two words in English.

"Hey, Kakyoin! What are you doing?" Joseph berated, rushing over to the crying child. Gently removing the baby from Kakyoin's hands, he continued to reprimand the redhead, "Come on, that's too rough. You could strangle him doing that. What's wrong with you?"

"M-My apologies," Suki could see a truly shaken look in the violet eyes of the honor student as she closed the distance between herself and the two men. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed him pull the sleeve of his uniform down over the letters embedded in his skin.

"There, there, it's all right," Mr. Joestar cooed, walking away with the infant in his arms, "Let's get something to eat. I'm sure you'll calm down once you eat."

Kakyoin breathed a heavy sigh, as Suki came around his side and smiled up at him.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a bit?"

The honor student's eyes softened slightly at this suggestion, but quickly hardened again as he shook his head.

"I…don't think I…"

Suki pushed out her bottom lip ever-so-slightly in a small pout.

"Even if it's about my studies?"

This seemed to snag his attention, as his eyebrows raised. After a moment, he exhaled and let his lips turn up in a tired smile.

"Alright. What did you want to discuss?"

"Well, not here," Suki corrected gently, as she reached over to Kakyoin's hand and grasped it with a feather-light hold, leading him behind the plane wreckage, where the others were too busy with the radio on the pilot's side to see or hear what they were doing. Finally stopping, she turned to the honor student, as he attempted to remove his hand from her grip. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before she asked the question on her mind.

"I want to see…if I can read the letters on your arm."

Kakyoin's eyes widened, as his mouth gaped open slightly. Locking eyes with the girl, he quickly cast his gaze downward as he shook his head, acting almost like a cornered animal as he swallowed thickly.

"Kakyoin…" Suki smiled softly as she placed her free hand on the back of his, running her thumb across the somewhat rough skin as she looked into her friend's violet eyes, "I'm not gonna hurt you. I want to help you."

A moment passed.

"Please…Can you let me?"

Another moment passed.

Finally, Kakyoin closed his eyes and nodded, allowing Suki to hold his hand between them and push up his uniform sleeve, revealing the angry red letters once more.

"Baby…Stand…" Suki murmured. Kakyoin cast his eyes away as she looked up, "These letters…weren't here before, were they?"

A pause. Then, the honor student slowly shook his head.

"Why did you write them?"

Once again, that frightened expression lit up the violet eyes of her comrade.

"I'm not assuming anything. I just want to know."

He closed his eyes, pursing his lips before he spoke again.

"I…I don't know. I don't remember why I wrote them with my knife. I don't even remember making the cuts in the first place," Cracking his eyes open and shaking his head, the honor student made eye contact with the girl as he made a point, "Suki, you…should stay away from me."

The girl tilted her head, asking a silent question with a concerned frown.

"I think…I think there's something wrong with me. The last thing I want…" He tightened his grip in the girl's hand as he bit out his next words, "The last thing I want is for you to get hurt because of me."

"You won't hurt me."

"Wh…What…?"

Suki shook her head. She then placed her satchel on the ground and fished through it for antiseptic.

"Nothing's wrong with you. You won't hurt me."

The girl then launched into an abridged explanation of what she had found that day as she tended to the man's cuts: the wound Kakyoin woke up with, the cause of death of the poor dog, the bizarre sleeping behavior of both him and Polnareff, and the anxious feeling she had gotten back on the plane.

"The Stand seems to affect people and animals who are sleeping. If you and the dog were asleep at the same time, then it would make sense for you both to be in the same place at the same time, in a dream. And you said yourself that you haven't been in a state where you would experience night terrors, and I feel like Polnareff lives a life just as free of them. The only conclusion that I can seem to reach _is_ that the baby is our Stand user; however…" Suki's hand stopped as she closed her eyes in thought, "I…can't bring myself to accuse him."

The honor student was silent. The girl continued, her hand beginning to move again as she dabbed medicine on his wounds.

"I have seen odd Stand users aplenty, so a baby using a Stand wouldn't be too crazy of an assumption to make. Even still, he _is_ an infant. Babies aren't like adults or animals: we don't even entertain the thought that they may want to kill people, because it just doesn't seem possible. So, that's why…" She turned her gaze up to look at him once more, "I think you should lay low about this. I've only gotten to this point because of everything I've seen today, and what I knew going into this. No one's…on the same page."  
The girl cast her eyes away as she bit her lip.

"Much as I want to believe that everyone will believe you because you're our friend, I…have to be realistic. I've heard them muttering about your health. I think they might doubt you, and bringing something _this_ hard to believe to their attention might just aggravate whatever they're feeling about you right now. Like I said, most people, including me, don't want to accuse a person who hasn't even been alive for a year of murderous intent."

Swinging her gaze up again, the girl gave a quiet smile as she locked her soft brown eyes with her friend's tired purple irises.

"But, even if I hadn't come across all of this…I still would've believed you."

"You…" Kakyoin looked genuinely confused.

"Heh, I know," Suki grinned sheepishly, "I'm pretty gullible. But…no matter how unconvinced you might be, no matter how unstable you might be…" Her grin fell as she looked at the man determinedly, "You'd have to enlist an army to tear me away from you, if you were in trouble."

Kakyoin blinked in disbelief. Suki let her lips turn up once more as she huffed out a small laugh.

"I'm exaggerating. At least, about the army part. I mean it when I say this, though: if you ever need help, I will _never_ abandon you. If believing in you will give you the strength to push through whatever you're facing, then I'll believe with all of my heart. No matter how crazy things might get…" Suki took back her antiseptic and placed it in her pocket, replacing her hands over Kakyoin's left, looking up at him with stars glimmering in her eyes, "I will always, _always_ be there. I could never leave you alone. I…care about you, a lot. Not just as a person I respect, but as a friend I can trust. You're…You're dear to me, Kakyoin."

What was only a few seconds felt like a few hours to the honor student, as he slowly turned over the words the girl had just spoken to him. All at once, portraying the emotions he had been holding in his heart, he recalled the words he himself had spoken about the woman they were all trying so desperately to save from the clutches of her own Stand. These words sounded like an old record playing in his mind, but the feeling behind what he had said still held true to every syllable.

" _Jojo's mother,_ _Ms. Holly,_ _is a woman who can calm the hearts of others. People feel at ease when she is nearby. This may sound awkward, but if I were to fall in love, I'd like it to be with someone like her. I'd feel like I have to protect her. I'd want to see her happy, kind smile."_

Kakyoin's eyes drifted from the girl's eyes, irises bathed in a sincere kindness he rarely ever saw, to her small mouth, soft-looking lips quirked ever-so-slightly into a smile that only held intent of easing worries. Even in this darkness, the delicate curves of her face and body stood out against the arid surroundings like a still-life painting, created by only the most careful of hands and the keenest of eyes, flattering her feminine figure in the shade. As he allowed his gaze to glide back up, he spoke a word, a name, at the forefront of his thoughts.

"Suki."

Realizing his left hand was still seated comfortably between the sweetly soothing hands of the girl in front of him, he reached up with his right hand and brushed her brown locks away from her face, silky to the touch, resting his palm on her cheek. Suki's eyes widened, as she swallowed thickly. Her still kind eyes grew somewhat cloudy, not with confusion, but with some other feeling Kakyoin couldn't pinpoint. The girl's lips fell slightly, forming a dazed expression on her features. Over his left knuckles, he could feel her pulse quicken by a few paces. Her grip seemed to loosen with no resistance, as Kakyoin gently removed his other hand from hers and brought it behind Suki, placing it on the small of her back and nudging her closer.

"Suki…I…"

The honor student darted his tongue out over his dry lips, a display of nervousness, as he began to lean in towards her, slowly so as not to scare her. Suki didn't move, didn't fight back, as she seemed to give in completely to what was happening.

He stopped, mere millimeters separating their lips. The girl could feel his breath, feel his heat from how close he was, as his eyes wavered slightly.

 _Why…_ Suki thought, _why did you…?_

"Hey, Suki, Kakyoin!" They heard Polnareff call out from the camp.

"Where did you two go?" Joseph's louder voice joined in.

The two had darted their gazes to the plane, on the other side of which the voices came, before looking back to each other. Feeling her own cheeks heat, Suki swallowed and stepped back out of Kakyoin's gentle grip.

"U-Uhm...Could…C-Could you…?" Suki started, stuttering from her nerves, before taking a deep breath and smiling softly, "Could you…give me time to think about this?"

A moment passed, before the man breathed a small exhale.

"I apologize. I did spring this on you rather suddenly. Take all the time you need."

"Th-Thank you."

* * *

"What do I do…?" Suki murmured, scanning the empty desert expanse, sighing from where she sat atop a small rock. Turning her gaze upwards, she marveled at the ocean of stars above her head.

 _All of these stars… it's a different view from home, for sure,_ she thought, letting her chin rest in her palm, _a lot has happened since I left…It won't be too much longer before I see home again. Will it look different to me, I wonder?_

The girl sighed, closing her eyes in contemplation.

 _Well, I know_ now _what you meant by 'more than simple admiration,' Whit…_ Suki blushed, replaying what had just occurred in her mind, recalling every sensation, _my brain was in full panic mode, and I just froze up. I wasn't_ against _what Kakyoin was doing, but…even though I don't know how Jotaro feels about me, I don't want to deny the feelings I have for him…Dammit…_ She carded a hand through her hair, taking a deep breath, _I like them both. A lot. Do I…really have to choose between them?  
_

Shaking her head, Suki noticed the feeling of her chain rubbing against her neck. Removing her pendant from under her white shirt, she stared at the softly glowing object. With pursed lips, she remembered her brother's smile.

" _I know you're too young to marry right now, but I swear, when the time comes, I'll get down on my knee and propose for real! But, for now…I want the promise to be there. Is that okay?"_

 _It's…not okay anymore…_ Suki clenched her grip around the necklace as she bit her lip, replacing the necklace back under her clothes.

The sound of footsteps brushing through the sand reached the girl's ears, as she turned to see Jotaro walking in her general direction, a cup of steaming liquid, presumably coffee, in his hand. She smiled lightly at him, as she made room on the boulder for him to sit beside her. With no hesitation, he seated himself beside her, as he turned his gaze upwards, staring at the softly glittering sky.

"You're not going to take care of the baby?"

Suki snickered.

"Okay, I know you're trying to be sexist, but you and I both know that I'm the _last_ person who should be put in charge of a small individual."

…

"You have a point."

"Right?" Suki asked with a laugh.

The two were quiet for a moment, as Jotaro sipped from his beverage, before Suki noted the concern in his eyes.

"Are you worried about him?"

After a moment, the thug gave a small nod.

"If you're so worried about him, why don't you just _ask_ him if he's okay? You ask him 'what's wrong?' all the time. Why is this any different?"

"…I don't think he can hold up for much longer."

The twinge in his voice was near imperceptible, but Suki was able to catch the smallest hint of sadness in his words.

 _So, he thinks he_ can't _ask…? Or is he…afraid of the answer he'll get?_

"He's having a rough time right now. I don't disagree. But," Suki folded her arms and nodded, "He'll be okay. If worse comes to worst, though, he can just hang back with me when you all go off to fight Dio."

A moment passed. Then, the delinquent piped up.

"Maybe you can change everyone's minds, if you work hard enough."

The girl nodded with a big smile.

"Yeah, I remember. Have I…improved at all?"

"I don't know if the old man would have realized what he could do anyway, but you did think fast on the plane. What you said may have saved our necks."

"Well, I think I thought fast because you…" _Touched me?_ "-or advice! What you told me back at the fountain, it paid off in spades, that's it!"

 _I don't know why,_ Suki pondered, _but somehow, the physical contact allowed me to think more clearly...Why is that…?_

"Hmph. Good."

…

"I am a bit worried."

"Still about Kakyoin?" Suki queried.

"Him, and some other things."

After a moment, Jotaro stood up from the rock and strolled back over to the campfire.

 _Was that supposed to be a confession of sorts? He certainly doesn't like opening up…It's so hard to read him, too…Does he notice my change in behavior? Does he accept it? Does he…maybe…? But, Kakyoin, too…_ Suki shook her head, _Dammit. I can't think straight._

With a small sigh, Suki stood and made her way back to the camp. As she approached, she saw Polnareff lean over and whisper something in Jotaro's ear, as he cast furtive glances at Kakyoin, who held his head in one hand. A tiny frown pulled the girl's lips down for a split second before she closed the distance between herself and the honor student, sitting on the ground beside him. She was acutely aware of the silver-haired man giving her a quizzical look out of the corner of her eye.

"Why…are you here?"

Turning to look up at Kakyoin, Suki cocked her head to the side.

"Do you not _want_ me to be here?"

"It's…not that…It's just…" He sighed, shaking his head, "Never mind. It's nothing."

"Do you…want to talk about it?" She asked tepidly.

"I don't think that will help…Not right now…"

Seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, Suki turned and leaned back against the boulder, closing her eyes and folding her arms.

 _Did something happen while I was gone…?_ Suki wondered, _or…did he think I rejected him? That wasn't what I intended at all, I felt like he understood that. So, why…?_

"Mr. Joestar, Polnareff, did you see that?!"

Suki opened her eyes to see Kakyoin standing in front of the fire. Joseph and Polnareff looked towards the honor student with somewhat startled faces from their place near the flame.

"Huh?"

"That baby isn't normal after all!" The redhead pointed at the child in an accusatory manner as he claimed, "He just killed a scorpion! In the blink of an eye! He stabbed it with a safety pin!"

Joseph exchanged a skeptical look with Polnareff before turning back to him.

"Kakyoin, hold on. What are you talking about?"

"That is not a normal baby! He's not even a year old, but knew what a scorpion was…And he killed it with those tiny hands!"

This piece of information alarmed the old man, as he got to his feet and rushed over to the basket.

"A scorpion?" He asked, picking the baby up out of his makeshift cradle, "Where?!"

"In here!" Kakyoin began to rifle through the blankets in the basket, turning them and the pillow over as he searched for the arachnid, "The dead scorpion on the pin should be in here."

As he spoke, Jotaro, Polnareff, and Suki all stood up from their separate positions and walked over to where the commotion was occurring. The honor student let gravity pull his hand down, placing the blanket back in the basket as his expression grew disbelieving.

"I-It's not here…B-But it's true!" Turning and standing, Kakyoin attempted to yank the baby out of Joseph's arms, "Where'd you hide it?! Is it in your clothes?!"

Mr. Joestar turned away from Kakyoin, shielding the infant with his body as he scolded the honor student.

"We got it, Kakyoin! That's enough! Stop!"

"Mr. Joestar!"

"I said this earlier, but you're tired. Let's talk again tomorrow morning, after you've calmed down."

Kakyoin reached out, as though he wanted to say something else to defend his case as Joseph walked away. Shifting his attention behind him, Kakyoin saw Polnareff giving him an accusatory look. Jotaro's expression was stoic, as it always was, but his eyes carried a hint of worry. Suki was very clearly anxious, as her eyebrows turned up and she swallowed. A tense moment passed before Suki began to walk over to the honor student.

"Maybe you should leave him alone," Jotaro suggested, as though speaking from experience.

The girl turned back to the two men, as her worried expression grew determined.

"I can't just-!"

"Suki."

She looked back to the honor student as he called her name.

"It's fine. Don't worry about me."

"But, I…"

"You don't need to get wrapped up in this. Just let me think on my own, all right?"

Suki looked into Kakyoin's eyes. She saw fatigue, hints of anxiety, but, above all else, she could see uncertainty in his purple irises. Swallowing thickly, the girl's expression grew defeated and dismal, nodding sadly as she turned and walked over to the fire. After a moment of standing in front of the burning wood, she crouched, looking directly into the crackling burst of oranges, reds, and yellows.

 _That baby…_ Suki mused, _if he really_ is _the Stand user…if he's been trying to_ kill _us in our dreams, he wouldn't let himself be caught so easily,_ she shook her head, _I know we aren't supposed to underestimate the intelligence and potential of small children, or something along those lines, but this is ridiculous._

Suddenly, a loud _smack_ reached her ears, followed by Kakyoin's shout.

"Mr. Joestar! I'm sure of it now! I don't know where he hid the scorpion, but he's a Stand user! And I have the very thing to prove that!" As he spoke, Kakyoin pulled up the sleeve of his left arm, revealing the bloody letters from before, "Look at the wound on my arm! At what it says!"

 _Shit!_ Suki stood up quickly, pursing her lips in worry.

"This is a warning. This must be a wound I got in my sleep."

Kakyoin's eyes were wild.

"Oh, my God!" Joseph cried out.

"Kakyoin, did you do that to yourself?" Jotaro asked.

Looking up from his arm, the honor student registered the confused expressions of the other three men. He seemed to wonder why they were so shocked.

"Eh?"

"K-Kakyoin, you've finally…" Polnareff started, taken aback.

Mr. Joestar's eyes widened.

"Oh, my God…"

A strained moment passed, before Polnareff took a step towards Kakyoin. As she saw this, Suki dashed out in front of the redhead and stood in a defensive stance, arms spread wide.

"Suki, what are you-?" The Frenchman asked.

"I-I believe him…I think that baby could be a Stand user!"

"What?"

"Suki, you…" Joseph started, but found he couldn't finish.

"Suki…" Kakyoin's tone was disbelieving.

"So, you knew about this, then…" Jotaro expressed.

"I…I did. But," Standing up straight and folding her arms, Suki continued to explain, "There are too many things that point to an enemy Stand user being among us. Kakyoin's bizarre sleeping behavior, the fact that both he and Polnareff experienced what was described as 'a terrifying dream' on the plane, and the dreamers' minds being completely wiped of anything that happened in them…The user only seems able to strike when his potential victims are asleep."

"Kakyoin's just tired, that's why he's been acting like this," Mr. Joestar claimed.

The girl shook her head.

"No, how dreams and nightmares affect the human body is crystal clear in my mind. That _wasn't_ normal behavior. He shouldn't have been having a clear enough dream to react so violently, not so soon after falling asleep. None of _us_ have the ability to affect people in their sleep like that, so, unless someone was hiding in the luggage compartment, which I doubt, the only person it could be is…"

"Are you sure that isn't just subjective?" Jotaro asked.

"Subjective…?"

The girl let her fiery gaze simmer, as her eyes drifted from each man's face, seeing doubt cloud every expression. Unfolding her arms, she ran a hand through her hair and shook her head.

"Why are you all so adamant about this? We've seen a frail old woman and an orangutan command Stands before, why is _this_ so difficult to believe?!"

"With that logic, a small animal could be doing this, too," Polnareff suggested, "It could've hidden itself on the plane, and we wouldn't be the wiser."

"No…That's not-!" Suki shook her head and let her arms fall to her sides, her fists clenching. She felt tears springing up behind her eyes, but bit them back harshly, "Why…"

 _I'm sure now. I'm_ positive _, that that baby is a Stand user. Not because of what I've seen or heard today, but because…because…!_

" _Why can't you all just believe in him?!_ "

At that moment, Kakyoin summoned Hierophant Green, sending the Stand straight for the infant.

 _No, Kakyoin, not like-!_

The girl heard a _thud_ behind her. Turning, she saw Kakyoin falling towards her, his eyes glazed over. Realizing he was unconscious, Suki reached out to catch him, grasping him by the shoulders.

"Wh-Why…?"

"It's no use. He's totally lost his mind," Polnareff admitted with a dismal expression.

The girl refused to speak, as she dragged Kakyoin to a nearby rock, sitting him down and leaning him up against it. Standing up, quivering in anger, she finally spoke.

"Why..." Turning to them with blazing eyes, she yelled, "Why would you do that?!"

"What do you mean 'why'?" Polnareff asked, "You heard-"

"No, I'm sure that he's right. That baby _is_ a Stand user!" As the girl turned her gaze towards the baby, he made eye contact with her before looking away.

 _That baby…Why did he consciously look away like that?_ She narrowed her eyes, _he's smarter than we give him credit for, I think._

"Suki, I understand you want to believe him, but this isn't something you can just put blind faith in," Joseph spoke calmly.

"It's not blind! There _is_ evidence!" Suki shot back.

"It's circumstantial, though," Jotaro chimed in.

"Circum…stantial?"

"It means-"

"I _know_ what circumstantial means, dammit! I just…" Suki sighed, "Never mind. I'm gonna go walk around and cool down."

With that, the girl stormed off. After walking for a few moments, she looked back to the camp, seeing Kakyoin still resting against the boulder. Letting her gaze lower to the ground, she felt a frown cross her features.

 _The least I can do is make sure he's comfortable._

With that, she made her way back to the campfire, picking out Kakyoin's sleeping bag and tarp from the luggage and setting to work.

"I can't believe it. So Kakyoin can't fight or travel with us anymore?" Polnareff murmured.

"We'll figure out what to do with him in the morning," Joseph assured.

"What about Suki?" Jotaro asked.

"She'll be fine," Mr. Joestar explained, "Once she understands the circumstances, she won't be so upset."

"Oh, yeah, don't mind me, just five yards away."

The other three men turned upon hearing the girl's irritable muttering, as she helped the unconscious Kakyoin into his sleeping bag. Noticing their pause, she turned to them, her expression cold.

"What? I'm not interrupting you, am I?"

As the men resumed their chat, Suki zipped up the sleeping bag. Involuntarily, she rested her hand on Kakyoin's cheek, sighing.

 _Can…Can I really not help you through this?_

Somehow, the honor student responded to the touch, leaning into her palm. Suki's lips parted slightly before she slowly removed her hand, her cheeks heating as she took a deep breath. Standing, she began to walk about, sifting through her thoughts as the voices of her comrades slowly quieted down.

* * *

 _Jeez…_ Suki huffed a sigh as she walked around, _just walking around isn't helping me cool down at all._

After a moment of thought, the girl caught her fist in her hand.

"When in doubt, jerk it out," She muttered, reaching into her satchel and pulling out the one piece of "study material" that she hadn't started yet.

The cover, to anyone else's eyes, seemed completely innocent, with a smaller teenage girl grinning widely with closed eyes, standing between two boys who were taller, but looked to be around the same age, who also smiled lightly. The title of the book, situated underneath the three happy youths, was "Paulie, Gam, and Me!"

Flicking through the introductory pages, Suki's eyes landed on the first scene, where the girl and two boys from the cover sat in what looked to be a diner, as they laughed at a dumb joke one of the boys told. On the next page was a picture of the girl smiling as she said, "Polygamy's a lot more fun than I thought it would be!"

 _Poly…gamy…?_ Suki rolled the word around in her head, marking the page she had stopped at with her finger and closing the book, as she brought a hand to her chin, _"poly"_ _means "many," right…? But, "gamy" is…Do I know any words that end with "gamy…"?... "Monogamy." I remember my mom explained what that was to me, since I heard her and dad talk about it. It's when someone is married to only one person. "Mono" means "one," so "gamy" must refer to marriage. So…does that mean…?_ Suki opened her book back up and began to thumb through the pages, as her eyebrows raised.

On the next collection of pages, without going into graphic detail, Suki could see that the three people on the cover were enjoying each other's company even _more_ than they had been in the diner. They had swiftly relocated to one of their empty houses, stripped down, and all had sex together.

 _All three of them…In a relationship…_ Suki wondered, _and they all…seem really happy. Even the boys seem to love each other just as much as they love the girl. This is…_

… _Can this happen in real life?_

Looking about, Suki decided to walk back to the campfire and head to sleep, feeling this new bit of knowledge had cooled her off considerably.

 _Do I…like them both so much that I wouldn't be able to decide? I don't think I'd be in this situation if I didn't, but,_ Suki thought, _will either of them… accept me, if I choose this option? Is this…acceptable?_

As these questions occupied the girl's mind, her field of vision grew brighter as she approached the campfire. The rest of her group appeared to be asleep, all zipped up in their sleeping bags. Coming closer to the flame, Suki's eyes widened as she realized one person in their group was wide awake, sitting by the fire and licking baby food off of a spoon.

The baby.

Finally noticing her presence, the infant looked up at Suki, raising his eyebrows with his mouth agape. Upon realizing who he was looking at, he grinned, letting his two pointy teeth poke out over his bottom lip. The girl gritted her teeth.

 _It's like he's saying, "I've got you all dancing in the palm of my hand! What can_ you _do about it? I'll tell you what! Nothing!"_ Suki thought, _knowing this kind of villain, I'd assume he would probably laugh maniacally after he was done bragging._

Walking over and picking the infant up by the collar, his expression morphed into shock, his eyes widening. The girl glared at him.

 _I'll show you_ just _what I can do._

With that thought, Suki carried the child over to the basket, tucking him into the bed tightly. His face grew confused, unsure of what exactly she was doing, until she summoned Knight of Cups, forming a water whip and wrapping it around the handles of the basket, creating an easy way to carry it one-handed. Lifting the basket, she began to run, putting as much distance between the camp and herself.

 _You weren't able to affect us before we arrived in the village. That means your Stand's range is limited. If I can get far enough away from everyone, then you won't be able to do a damn thing to them,_ Suki thought, a smirk growing on her face, _you've clearly underestimated your opponents._

The baby struggled against his constraints as the girl dashed along through the dunes, making small choking noises, but not from the blankets.

She ran.

And ran.

And ran.

And _ran._

Soon enough, the sandy hills she rushed up and over blurred in her mind, as the only sounds she heard were her rough footsteps and the sound of the baby crying.

 _I feel…sleepy…_

Suki shook her head.

 _No, keep running. Stay awake,_ Suki thought, _I don't know how far I have to get to save everyone, but I can't stop now. Maybe if I just keep my mind occupied…_

…

… _Would I be okay with being with two people instead of one? How would that work? I like both of them, but am I_ absolutely certain _I like them equally? Would they be okay being with each other? Would they be okay with letting me date more than one person?_

…

… _Am I a terrible person, for wanting this? Maybe…my hormones are just running amok._

…

 _I…I think I know…_

…

Suddenly, the girl stumbled, falling to the ground, sand flying in her face as she faceplanted.

 _I can't…go…on…_

The girl let her heavy eyelids slip over her eyes, as she turned her head and fell asleep.

* * *

"…Nngh…"

Suki opened her eyes to what she assumed to be a dark corridor. Her head was ringing as she slowly pushed herself up off the hard, dusty floor. She sneezed.

"Where…am I…?" She asked no one in particular as she rubbed her nose.

Standing up, she saw a pair of torches at the end of the hallway. Inclined to move towards the light, she hesitated.

 _Last thing I remember…I was running through the desert…_

The girl scanned her surroundings once more.

 _This isn't a desert. I must be dreaming, then,_ she concluded, _wait, dreaming…?_

… _Shit._

"Kn-Knight!" She called out, her voice cracking as it rasped out of her throat.

Not even a second later, the familiar blue wraith appeared from Suki's figure. Blinking, the Stand looked about at her surroundings, turning back to her user with a tilted head. The user breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Thank God…At least I'm not alone, here," Suki spoke with a nervous laugh.

Knight shook her head and floated around her user in a circle, before raising her fists to her chin in a determined gesture.

"Of course, I didn't think you _would_ leave me alone, but…" The girl cast her gaze back down the corridor, "I don't think we're exactly in control of this situation."

 _The last time I was alone like this…Forever didn't provide much company, so it felt more like it was just me and Knight, all by ourselves…_ Suki thought, _now that I've separated from everyone else again…I feel a bit…_

She shook her head.

 _No, don't get scared, now. Knight's here with you, just like always._

Swinging her gaze back up to her companion, Suki pointed down the hallway.

"Shall we go then?"

The Stand, who appeared to have a nervous look in her eyes, nodded slowly, holding out her hand in a silent request to grasp her user's. The girl smiled, before reaching up and taking Knight's hand, as they began to walk through the passage.

Past the torches, the room opened up into a fancy foyer. While dark, the larger room was illuminated much more than the hall, with a dimly shining chandelier that looked like it had seen better days.

 _That thing is gonna drop on me, isn't it._

Suki hugged the wall, shimmying her way to the large double doors that led into this building. Upon reaching the exit, she shoved her shoulder into the door. The wooden structures refused to budge, no matter how much she pushed or pulled on the handles. Clicking her tongue, Suki saw another hallway, leading in the opposite direction of the one she had used to enter the foyer, and a carpeted set of grand stairs that wouldn't look out of place in a ballroom.

"Well, if _I_ were a sadistic baby who attacked people in their dreams," Suki mused, "where would I put _my_ victims…?"

The girl caught her fist in her hand.

"Surely, _surely_ , I would've been told one or two fairy tales about how a princess was locked in a tower. What better insult to my victims could I find than putting them in the position of 'damsel in distress' by locking them somewhere far from the ground? At least, if I were a baby."

Turning her head to her Stand, she jerked her head towards the grand staircase.

"Let's go."

Knight nodded.

Suki slowly approached the area under the chandelier, creeping her way across the floor, as though afraid of waking the empty building. Coming within a foot of the decoration, she broke out into a sprint, leaping up onto the stairs, just as the lights flickered out and the centerpiece of the ceiling came crashing down, spraying glass shards and wooden splinters everywhere.

 _I swear,_ every _chandelier is possessed by some ghost who wants to kill people. At least this kid has seen enough movies to believe_ that _much,_ Suki thought, _or maybe he just wants me dead, which I don't doubt._

The girl then climbed the rest of the stairs, as Knight of Cups followed close behind, scanning her surroundings for any sign of life.

* * *

The thick, brick walls of the stairwells seemed to glare down at the two, as they continued upwards with no window in sight. Finally, out of breath, Suki reached the top of the stairs curling upwards, staggering towards a single door that sat in front of her. Casting a glance back at her Stand, they exchanged a nod before the girl reached for the door and pushed on it. The structure yielded to her pressure, drifting open slowly, revealing a small room. Carefully, she stepped inside.

The chamber, unlike the sequence of dank, dark corridors and stairwells she had seen up to that point, was decorated, at least modestly. A wispy canopy bed stood against a wall, its pure, white curtains drifting delicately over the slumber nest. Directly across from the door sat a small, rounded window, allowing the occupant to look outside.

Taking the opportunity to look outside with both hands, Suki scanned her surroundings quickly before rushing over to the hole in the wall. What she saw blew her eyes wide open.

Closest to her were several smaller towers, accented with pink pastel walls and baby blue caps. Casting her gaze further over the environment, she noticed a gaudy yellow and green big-top tent, a stopped yellow Ferris wheel with red cars, and, even further in the distance, a large teacup ride with numerous candy-colored teacups and a steaming purple and blue argyle teapot in the center. The landmarks she noted first were just the tip of the iceberg, however, as she spotted several other amusement park rides with off-putting color schemes. The area was littered with uncanny purple trees and orange bushes, alongside the rest of the buildings that Suki could only assume were funhouses.

The girl took a few long blinks, turning her stare away from the park below. All of the bizarre contrasting color schemes made her eyes ache from sensory overload, as she closed her eyes.

 _This building had seemed pretty castle-like to me before, so I wasn't too surprised to see the other towers,_ Suki thought, _honestly, though, I was expecting a dragon guarded castle surrounded by hot boiling lava. An amusement park would_ not _have been my first guess._

A bolt of realization suddenly hit Suki.

"Wait. No one else is here…If…If _I'm_ the one in the tower…!"

A distorted voice suddenly rang lowly from under the window.

"Lali-ho…"

At that moment, what Suki assumed to be the specter of death loomed up into the window, its eerily happy clown face causing the girl to jump and scramble away from the hole in the wall. His dark robes fluttered as it flew in through the window, having to sidle through and tilt its head down, as its bulky purple shoulder pads and tall navy hat that stood straight up obstructed it from entering otherwise.

"Knight of Cups!"

Needing no more words of command, Knight rushed at the ghostly figure with a watery sword, as the frightening dark wraith floated in place, making no further advance towards the girl. Knight's sword stopped just short of lopping off the enemy's head, an inch separating the blade from its neck. A moment of silence passed before the figure turned its head and stared at Knight with its empty eyes.

"Well? Aren't you gonna kill me?"

Suki blinked.

"What do you mean, 'aren't you going to kill me?'? This is _your_ dream world, isn't it? You have unlimited power here. Why aren't _you_ trying to kill _me_?"

The specter growled.

"I would if I could, you ratty-ass bitch, but I don't want to add to what your husband is gonna do to me if we don't take care of things now."

 _For as smart as this baby is, I would've thought he would know the difference between a boyfriend and a husband,_ Suki thought with a cocked eyebrow, _that's just me making assumptions, though._

The girl scratched the side of her head.

"You've put us through a lot of hell today, but I don't think that Kakyoin would kill you. That's just not like him."

"Oh, no, he wouldn't give me the pleasure," The baby's Stand crossed his mechanical arms as he spoke, "While you carried me away, I stupidly let it slip that you were interfering with what I was doing, and that I would make sure you paid. I didn't expect you to understand my wailing, though, but my thoughts translated through my Stand's voice, and Kakyoin heard me. Then…he said…"

Suddenly, Kakyoin appeared in front of Suki, his back turned to her and his fists clenched at his sides. About to call out to him, she noticed him blur and grow fuzzy, like an image on a television having static interference.

 _This is…a replica that the Stand is making…_

"If you harm a single hair on her head…If you lay even a _finger_ on her…" The honor student's voice was brimming with anger, as his fingernails dug into his palms. He then raised his arm and pointed at the specter, "I will ensure you _learn_ that there are fates worse than death."

Suki's eyes widened. In his voice, she could tell that what he spoke was no threat. It was a promise. A promise that the girl had no doubt in her mind that he _would_ hold himself to.

 _I'm glad he's on our side, he's scary when he's angry…_

The figure of the redhead phased out of existence as he finished his statement.

"Now do you see the situation you've gotten me into? If you had just been the useless little tramp you're supposed to be, then I wouldn't be about to die slowly and painfully like I'm already going to. Kakyoin won't just _forget_ what I did if I don't hurt you. He's _going_ to kill me, and make sure I feel every second of pain. That's why I need your help."

The Stand pointed at Suki's satchel, containing her open water canteen.

"See, you already had your Stand out, and anything within a few inches of your body got pulled in, too. Now you can kill me quickly and painlessly, so he can't get me."

"Okay, if you wanted me to reach you, here…" Suki started, folding her arms and tilting her head, "Why did you try to kill me with that chandelier earlier?"

"I knew you would dodge in time. I just wanted to get back at you a bit for what you did."

 _A bit, my ass,_ Suki thought, _that chandelier landed a few feet away from me. If I had been any slower, I'd probably be scattered all over the place like the glass and wood of that fixture._

"Well, regardless," Suki pulled Knight of Cups back as she got to her feet, "I'm not going to kill you."

"Wh-What…?" The specter threw his hands down in a small angry fit, "Why not? I did so much shit to you, and Kakyoin, and the others! You should _want_ an enemy like me dead!"

"I could never wish for the death of another person," Suki shook her head, "Even if it was only for a few months, I saw some twisted things as I served under Dio. He's the only monster I see deserving of it."

She bowed her head slightly, staring at the ground.

"There are…quite a few who have met their end by our group's hands. In acts of desperation, with lives on the line, one can forget to hold back. I learned that during my training. But…" She placed a hand on her chest and looked up, her eyes determined, "I don't think there's a worse crime than taking away someone's life, through death or other means, if you have the option not to."

She let her hands fall to her sides, as she smiled contentedly.

"That's why I won't kill you. And that's why I believe Kakyoin won't go as far as you think he will…As long as you don't try to kill me. Otherwise all bets are off."

At that moment, the specter rushed at Suki, manifesting a long, threatening scythe in his left hand, bringing the sharp edge dangerously close to her neck. She stared at the Stand, as she stood rooted to the ground.

"I might not be able to kill you, but I can do _other_ things to make you do what I want. After all, this _is_ _my_ world."

The girl gritted her teeth as she tensed up, finding herself unable to move.

 _Being in the highest room of the tallest tower…_ Suki thought, _all by myself, with no other people to help me…_

… _I really_ am _the damsel in distress here._

"…ki…!"

"Huh?" Without removing his weapon from its place, the Stand looked about, searching for the source of the voice.

"Ki…Su…"

Suki cast her eyes about, wondering where the person speaking was.

 _That voice…It sounds like…_

"…Suki…! Suki, wake up!"

… _Kakyoin!  
_

All of a sudden, Suki felt herself being yanked forcefully away from the baby's Stand, as nothing but darkness clouded her vision. As she slowly regained consciousness, she heard the specter of death muttering furiously, slightly panicked.

"Damn that Kakyoin! That bitch'll get it soon though. Dio's got plans in store for her…"

* * *

Cracking her tired eyes open, Suki was greeted by a sky that was a shade lighter than the black she had seen the night before, the stars dulling to fuzzy sparks, signifying the slowly coming day. More importantly, however, was the man kneeling next to her.

"Kakyoin!" Suki cried as she sat up and smiled. She launched herself at the honor student from her seated position, wrapping her arms around his torso. He tensed at the contact, before resting his hands on her shoulders, as she continued, "You're all right! Thank God!"

A moment passed before Suki pulled back, looking up with a cocked head.

"…What about the others?"

"They're fine. They're still asleep back at camp. I doubt they'll remember what happened, though," As Kakyoin spoke, he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and presented it to the girl, "You may need to dust yourself off a bit."

Running a hand over her cheek, the other through her hair, Suki became keenly aware to the fact that she was covered in sand. She laughed nervously.

"Y-Yeah. Thank you."

With that, she took the cloth and began to rub at the gritty areas on her body. As she did so, the honor student looked between her and where he had come from, back to the baby, then to her again.

"So, you really _did_ spend your night creating this much distance…"

"I knew his range was limited. I thought if I took him further away, he would have less power over you all."

"Hm. Your theory was correct. I distinctly remember hearing him call out about interference from a…well…" He sighed and folded his arms, "He called you quite a few vulgar things, that I would rather not repeat."

"Yeah, I know."

"You…You know?"

"The baby made me fall asleep and spoke to me in my dream."

Suki then recounted what had happened during her slumber, careful to leave out the part where the Stand threatened her, thinking the kid already had enough coming, with what he had already done to the others. As she explained that the specter had shown her the promise Kakyoin had made, he cast his eyes away.

"I'm…sorry you had to see that. That was…"

"No, no, it's fine!" Suki smiled, "You just wanted to protect me. Just like before."

A small pause. Then the girl asked a question.

"You guys didn't get too hurt, did you?"

"No, thankfully," Kakyoin expressed, shaking his head, "I managed to get the upper hand on him in the dream, thanks to your interference."

 _I…I'm so glad…_ Suki marveled, _I was able to help…_

"I'm just glad I was able to help you," She spoke, holding out her hand, offering his handkerchief back to him, "You…were having a really rough time of it."

"Your help during that fight was much appreciated," The honor student thanked, taking her hand in both of his own, "However, even if you hadn't been able to assist there…"

All of a sudden, Suki witnessed something she never expected to see from him.

She saw tears welling up in his eyes.

"You never once lost faith in me. Even when I began to doubt myself, your belief never faltered," Kakyoin smiled at her, through the two droplets that rolled down his cheeks, "I…fought harder, because of that belief."

Suki's lips parted slightly.

 _I…I really_ did _help him…_

After a moment, Suki gently removed her hand, as she stood and dusted herself off. Turning back to the honor student, she saw him rubbing at his eyes. She smiled and extended her hand to him. Looking up, between her hand and her face, he slowly placed his hand in hers, allowing her to help him up off the ground. Suki gave his hand a gentle squeeze as she voiced a question on her mind.

"Aren't you…going to finish what you started?"

Kakyoin's eyes grew confused, as he cast his eyes about, trying to recall what she could be talking about.

"What I…?"

"What you almost did last night," Suki blushed, "Don't you want to try that again?"

"What I almost…!" A tinge of red heated the honor student's cheeks as he fully remembered the memory, "A-Ah, yes…That."

"You had me right there, Kakyoin," She gave a lopsided grin, "Why did you stop?"

A long moment passed, before he finally responded.

"I was afraid…that I would wake up."

"Wake up?"

Kakyoin twirled his stray strand of hair between the fingers of his free hand, as he cast his eyes away.

"You let me get so close to you…I was certain that I would wake up before…before _that_ happened."

Suki tilted her head, keeping her same smile.

"Why don't you try again? See if this really is a dream. You can trust me, it's not like I'll disappear or something."

"That is…well…"

"You _want_ to kiss me, don't you?"

"Yes!" Realizing he had involuntarily raised his voice, Kakyoin cleared his throat, "I mean, yes, I would like to…"

"Then, go ahead."

The honor student's lips parted slightly, before he nodded and placed his hand on the girl's cheek. He took a deep breath.

"Right."

Slowly, he removed his hand from hers and wrapped his arm around her back, gently pulling her closer. Kakyoin swallowed thickly before leaning in. Once again, he hesitated, stopping mere millimeters before his lips made contact, as Suki's heartbeat raced in her chest. Holding on to a firm tension, afraid he wouldn't lean in the rest of the way, the honor student finally let his eyes slip closed and pressed his mouth against hers. The girl's eyes widened, as a heated feeling coursed through her, reaching every corner of her body, eventually settling in her chest and the pit of her stomach. Perhaps realizing that this moment was far from a dream, Kakyoin tightened his arm around Suki's body protectively, pressing their abdomens flush against each other, as the fingers of his other hand drifted from her cheek to weave through her hair. Closing her own eyes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head slightly, deepening the lip lock, as the cool, early morning breeze whistled across the desert.

 _I felt this way…When_ he _kissed me, too…_ Suki thought, as her heart felt like it was fit to burst.

 _If I'm not supposed to count that one though...Then, is this my first...?!_

After what felt like not nearly long enough, the two pulled away from each other, cheeks flushed. Suki lowered her arms from Kakyoin's neck and embraced him, burying her face in his chest. The honor student held her close, locking his arms across her back.

"Uhm, Kakyoin…"

"Hmm?"

"Well…I want to know if I'm a bad person…"

He brought her out to arm's length to look her in the eye.

"Now, what could make you think that?"

"I…"

 _Just be honest with him,_ Suki thought, _if you don't, this'll spawn more problems than it fixes._

"I like you. A lot. But, I like Jotaro, too, the same. I…I can't choose between you two, so I wanted to see if maybe…maybe we could…" Suki's voice tapered off as she spoke, becoming more nervous, "…Be in a relationship, together. All three of us."

…

"All three of us…"

Suki looked up to see Kakyoin staring at the ground, a dust of red coating his cheeks.

"Do you…like him, too?"

"What would make you think that?" The honor student spoke nervously.

"Well, I had other evidence, but then you started blushing," Suki noted with a mischievous grin.

A moment passed, before Kakyoin laughed softly and shook his head.

"The idea of being with you _and_ with him…It's almost like a dream."

Suki placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned up slightly.

"Do you want to prove if you're dreaming or not again?"

Kakyoin took a small breath before taking Suki's cheeks in his hands.

"You even had to ask?"

With that, he planted his lips on hers again, as she smiled into the kiss.

Suki could feel his breath brush her cheeks, and his lips were softer than she'd thought they would be. She tentatively tasted him with her tongue, catching the faint sweetness of cherries and eliciting a low moan from Kakyoin, as he opened his mouth ever-so-slightly.

The sound of a baby crying seemed to rouse both people out of their heated daze. They separated to glance at the basket. Kakyoin chuckled.

"Ah, right. You didn't come out here alone."

"Heh, it's funny," Suki blushed, twiddling her thumbs, "It kinda felt like I did, for a little while."

"The others should be waking up soon," Silently summoning Hierophant Green, his Stand wrapped his tentacles around the basket handles, lifting the makeshift cradle effortlessly, "Come on, I'll fix breakfast."

"What? But you fought a Stand all last night!"

"Somehow I feel wide awake and well-rested. I don't believe that sand nap did you any favors, on the other hand."

"I guess…" Suki admitted, grinning sheepishly.

As Hierophant continued forward, Kakyoin extended his hand out to the girl, smiling gently. She cast her gaze from his hand to his face, back and forth again, before blushing, never losing her smile as she intertwined her fingers with his. Connected by hand, the two youths made their way back to the campsite.

* * *

After what had felt like the longest night, the sun finally rose on the sleepy camp. Suki dozed quietly in Kakyoin's sleeping bag, as the honor student just finished making breakfast.

"All right, everyone. Wake up!" The redhead called, walking over to the sleeping group of men and banging the pot and spoon he held. The loud _clang_ of the instruments caused them to stir and grumble in drowsiness. Seeing Polnareff having the most difficulty with awakening, Kakyoin moved to his side and gently shook him awake, "Polnareff, wake up! Breakfast is ready!"

Joseph, Jotaro, and Polnareff all woke up reluctantly, finally sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. Glancing back towards his own sleeping bag, the honor student strolled over as the others busied themselves with getting ready for the day.

Suki had asserted that Kakyoin should be the one to sleep, as they had finally reached the camp, but he was certain he did not need to sleep any more than he already had. Upon suggesting that Suki sleep, she remembered aloud that she had never set her own bag out on a mat, and inwardly grumbled about doing that before getting a decent nap in. He had suggested to use his, to which Suki became a blushing, stuttering mess, as Kakyoin gave the alternative of him being the one to set out her sleeping bag. After muttering that he shouldn't work more than he needed to, Suki crawled into his sleeping bag and fell asleep only moments later.

 _Still asleep…_ Kakyoin thought with a smile, _I almost don't want to wake her up. She looks like an angel._

Taking a knee next to her, the redhead brushed her hair behind her ear. His eyes widened as he noticed a faded bruise accenting the shell of her ear.

 _This…This must be from…_

" _I…I let him…He touched…"_

" _I…I couldn't…I couldn't do_ anything _…"_

"Kakyoin…?"

The girl's eyes had fluttered open, and she stared at the honor student with a confused expression. Unbeknownst to him, his face had contorted into a frigid anger, worthy of a kill count if looks could do so. As her eyes trailed down his arm, she realized just where he was looking. She swallowed and covered the dull teeth marks with her hand, casting her eyes away as she sat up.

"Don't…Don't look at it," Suki shook her head, as she smiled gently. She unzipped the sleeping bag and gestured along her body with her other hand, silently asking him to examine her, "I'm fine, see? Don't worry about it."

Kakyoin paused, briefly glancing at the rest of their group, seeing that they were all turned away from the two of them. Shifting his gaze back to the girl, he brought his hand up and intertwined his fingers with the hand covering her ear. Gently, he coaxed her hand away from the affected area, as she bit her lip. His hand drifted off of hers, back up to her face, stroking her cheekbone with his thumb.

Surprising her, he leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. She looked up at him like a deer in headlights, as she swallowed.

"He didn't change anything about you. You were beautiful then, and you're beautiful now. Please, don't let scum like him into your head…Alright?" He smiled gently, as he pulled back slightly and gave her forehead a small peck.

"Kakyoin…"

"Now, then," He started, patting the girl on the head, "Let's get up and get moving. Your breakfast will get cold, otherwise."

A small pause. Then, she moved her mouth subtly, as though trying and failing to speak. With a raised eyebrow, Kakyoin leaned closer.

"What's that?"

She moved in and kissed his cheek. His eyes widened and his lips parted in surprise as she pulled back and blushed.

"Thank you, Kakyoin."

The honor student's face flushed red, as he smiled gently, watching her stand and make her way over to a nearby pond.

"I feel like I had a terrible dream…" Polnareff mused.

"Same here," Joseph agreed, "I can't remember it, but I still feel like it was terrifying."

 _Right,_ Suki recalled, _Kakyoin told me that they wouldn't remember, because they didn't have their Stands with them._

"Kakyoin!" Polnareff spoke, as though remembering something. He stood up quickly and rushed off to the honor student sitting by the fire.

Suki soon took the Frenchman's place. The two other men looked to her with slightly skeptical expressions, before she turned and smiled at them.

"Good morning," She greeted.

Jotaro nodded.

"Good morning," Mr. Joestar replied, "You're chipper this morning."

Suki turned to the pond, splashing her face.

"That walking around did me some good. I managed to cool down and get right to sleep."

"Well, that's good to hear. We were a bit worried."

"Aw, don't worry about me," She assured, dabbing at her face with a towel, "I'm just glad that…I didn't wake you up."

The two men gave her quizzical looks at this response. Suki was thankful that they did not question her further, as she finished up, draping her towel across her neck and walking back over to the fire. She caught Kakyoin's attention with a small wave as she approached, as he smiled and handed her a plate. She returned an earnest grin.

 _I guess it's just between me and you, then._

* * *

"Hey, old man. Something's not right."

The group had set en route to Egypt on a boat via the Red Sea. Jotaro had spoken up as he glanced at the compass.

"You're going the wrong way. Shouldn't you be heading directly west, to Egypt?" He asked, pointing out to an approaching island, "You seem to be heading toward that island."

"Yeah, that's right," Joseph stated, "I have my reasons for not telling you before, but before we enter Egypt, we need to make a slight detour and meet someone."

"Hm?" Polnareff asked.

"Really?" Suki followed up, tilting her head and folding her arms.

"He's a man who's extremely important to this journey," Mr. Joestar continued.

"An important man…?" Polnareff wondered aloud.

"You seem to know this person quite well," Suki let her arms fall to her side, as she asked, "Who is this extremely important man?"

"You'll soon find out."

* * *

Chapter 13 - (Fear) The Reaper

-END—

-TO BE CONTINUED-

* * *

 **You thought you would find a standard love triangle in this fanfiction, but it was _me_ , Dio! But, technically, you could still think of it as a love triangle, if the triangle you're thinking of is the Eiffel Tower. (: ) Do some research today, kids, you'll thank me later, I swear.**

 **Speaking of research, the term "shipper" apparently was never coined until the mid-1990s, so perhaps JoJo exists in a universe where the term came about much sooner? The more you know.**

 **Chapter Fourteen will be ready next week. As for Chapter Fifteen...Well, that one's gonna be a monster of a chapter. Not only will it be quite an eventful episode, but it will be the last chapter I write before I go on an unfortunate hiatus from this work. Don't get me wrong, I love this work, and it's my pride and joy, which I'm sure says a lot about me; however, I've had it drilled into my head since childhood that work always comes first, and college is trying its hardest to screw me over as is. That won't stop me from putting as much effort as I can towards this fic, in the next few chapters and the story as a whole.**

 **I really hope you guys are liking the story so far, and I'll see you all next week for Chapter Fourteen!**

 **-BlueBow**


	15. Chapter 14 - Burn My Dread

Chapter Fourteen – Burn My Dread

 **WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by a line and another warning. You have been warned.**

 **Well, surprisingly enough, after three chapters straight with explicit content, touchy material, or some combination of the two, we get a break from it. Also figured that I would post a day early, since I've been editing this chapter all day, I thought, "Why not? I'm in the mood." On with the chapter!**

* * *

The salt-laden wind billowed through Suki's now shoulder-length hair, blowing it into her face, accompanied by the unmistakable smell of the sea. She huffed, moving the stray locks aside with a hand as she disembarked from the boat docked on the beach.

"Hey, now. Does someone actually live here?" She heard Polnareff ask as she approached, "It's such a tiny little island, and it looks deserted."

"Indeed," Kakyoin agreed. He then directed his voice to Joseph, questioning. "Mr. Joestar, does he really live here?"

"He lives here by himself," The old man answered, "That's what he told me back in India."

"Eh? Who do you mean by 'he'?"

"What? Indian curry?"

Kakyoin sighed at Polnareff's "contribution" to the line of questioning. Suki took this pause as an opportunity to chime in herself.

"Who…did you meet back in India?"

Joseph smirked.

"I said before, you'll know soon enough."

"I guess, but-"

As she scanned the surroundings, taking a few steps away from the group, she discovered what looked to be a pair of amber eyes, gazing out at them in what she perceived to be a predatory manner.

"Whoa!" She exclaimed, eyes widening. Everyone turned their attention to her as she hopped a step back and assumed a defensive stance.

"What?" Polnareff asked out of concern.

"Someone's watching us from the grass over there," Jotaro observed.

Suddenly, the fiery stare vanished, as a muscular man with gray hair and dark skin emerged from the brush and rushed away from them.

 _That hair and build…_ Suki thought, _I've only seen those together on_ one _person…!_

"He's running away!"

"From the back, he looks…" Kakyoin mused.

"Yeah. That's definitely familiar!" Polnareff cried, as he began to sprint through the thick vegetation, with Suki following close behind, the others bringing up the rear, "Hold it! Please wait!"

"C-Come back!" Suki called out.

As they exited the bushes, the party laid eyes upon a tiny house, accented only by a small enclosure out front. Arriving at the fence, they observed that said enclosure contained several chickens, which the strange man from earlier was now in the process of feeding.

"There's more over here," the unknown man coaxed, flinging feed out to the poultry, "Get nice and fat so you'll be a tasty chicken, Lionel."

"That man…He can't be…" Kakyoin started.

"It can't be…" Polnareff denied.

Suki swallowed thickly, as her lower lip trembled.

"You…You're…!"

She and Polnareff made to walk forward, only for Mr. Joestar to hold his arm out between them and the strange man.

"Hold it! I'll go talk to him. All of you, wait here," Joseph ordered, as he walked forward to the gate. He pointed to himself as he introduced himself, "My name is Joseph Joestar. I'm traveling to Egypt with these four-"

"Go away! I won't hear it!" The man shouted angrily.

"That voice…" Polnareff gasped.

"D-Don't talk to me! No one comes to see me with good news!" the familiar-sounding man clenched his fist as he continued ruefully, "It's only when something bad happens! I don't want to hear it!"

Finally, the man turned to the group, revealing his face for all to see. His gray eyebrows, small beard, and aged complexion were all quite distinct, but, as Suki observed his facial structure coupled with his amber eyes, glowing like hot embers, one name came to mind. The name had been inhabiting the far corners of her mind, as she had never expected it to pass her lips again; however, as of this moment, that name was the only thing she could think to vocalize.

"Ab…dul…?"

The amber-eyed man glared and scowled as he yelled once more.

"Go away!"

"Mr. Abdul!" Kakyoin called.

"Abdul…" Even Jotaro seemed somewhat shocked by this development, as his eyes widened slightly.

"Go away!" The Abdul look-alike growled once more, as he dashed back into his shack and slammed the door behind him.

Polnareff, Kakyoin, and Suki all saw fit to voice their states of mind with one sentence.

"I-It can't be!"

"That's Abdul's…father," Joseph confessed.

"His father?" Polnareff asked.

"He left the world behind, and lives alone on this island. I didn't tell any of you about this because if Dio were to find out that we had stopped here, the peace Abdul's father enjoys here could be compromised. I didn't want to let that happen," Mr. Joestar explained, his expression grim, "But telling him about his son Abdul's death won't be easy to do…"

 _Abdul…_

All at once, the memories Suki had thought she had long since grown past came back to her. The day that everyone had lost a valued comrade and friend rushed back, as she recalled the events. His kind words, meant only to ease her worries. The sense of control he seemed to have over the situation as he found Polnareff, saving his life and standing ready to knock down the enemy Stand user's attack. And then…and then…

 _I thought…_ Suki felt her lips grow too heavy to lift as she pondered this recollection, _I thought I had gotten over this…_

Looking up at the silver-haired man next to her, she saw Polnareff carrying a dismal expression, his blue eyes full of regret.

 _I guess neither of us has really come to terms with it yet…_

Joseph put a hand on each of his sad comrades' shoulders.

"Abdul's death was not your fault. Neither of yours."

Casting her gaze to her right hand, Suki could easily recall the bloodstain that had once refused to fade from her palm. As clean as her skin was now, the memory had been imprinted on her mind, leaving her to carry the recollection of that gruesome scene to her grave. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her fist, bringing it to her chest. Meanwhile, Polnareff took a few steps forward, gazing out at the lush island life in front of him, bordering a sparkling view of the midday sea.

"No, it's my responsibility. I have to carry that."

Suki wanted to call out to him, tell him he was wrong, not to blame himself. The words he had spoken in the privacy of his bedroom back at the graveyard hotel rang through her mind.

" _No matter what, if I hadn't stormed off like that, Abdul would still be alive and well, traveling along with us like nothing had changed. But I…I had to go and fuck all of that up!"_

 _I…can't think of anything to say…_ Suki thought, should _I say something? Would…_ anything _I say help?_

"Is his father a Stand user, as well?" Kakyoin asked.

"Yes, but I don't know what sort of Stand it is," Mr. Joestar responded.

"Given how his father has treated us, it's hard to imagine he'll help us."

"Leave this all to me," Joseph assured, "I'll try talking to his father."

Suki watched Polnareff's back until he disappeared from sight.

* * *

"Helloooooooooooooo, Red Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeea!"

After watching Joseph disappear into the shack, the rest of the group had decided to scatter. Jotaro found his way back to the ship, as Suki and Kakyoin stuck together to look around the island. After a few moments of stewing in her thoughts, as they wandered along the sand bar, the girl had spontaneously decided to kick off her boots and go running into the water. Despite her partner's confused questions, she dashed into the sea, letting the waves lap against her knees as she stood and shouted at the top of her lungs, cupping her mouth to project her voice.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeellllooooooooooo!"

Suki let her hands drop as she waited and listened. No response came. Standing up straight, she put her hands on her hips and sighed. Turning her head to look at the man on the beach, she was unsurprised to see Kakyoin giving her an uncertain tilt of his head. She grinned sheepishly.

"I heard screaming is a good stress reliever. I'd never really gotten the chance to try it."

" _Is_ it helping?" The honor student asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I think a little. Here-" She maneuvered her way back to the sand as she spoke, coming up to the redhead's side. She gestured between him and the sea, as she suggested, "You try it."

"You want me to shout? ... _Here_?"

"Come on, it might just be the stress-reliever you need! You won't know 'til you try it!" Suki grinned, raising her fists to her chin, "It's not hard at all! I could do it just fine!"

"I'm not sure if I should yell at the sea, if it isn't going to give me a reply," Kakyoin mused, folding his arms.

"Then, don't yell at the sea. Maybe…yell something out, but direct it towards yourself?" She suggested, as she shoved her socks and boots back on.

"Alright, but what would this 'something' be?"

"Uh, well…"

 _I don't see 'I'm ugly and I'm proud' being of_ any _sort of use to him…and 'loud noises' would just be nonsensical…_

"Ah, I've got it!" Suki exclaimed, catching her hand in her fist. She turned back to the sea and inhaled deeply. After a moment, she leaned forward and cupped her mouth once more, as she projected a different message.

"I'm Suki Kanao and I'm fine!"

Smiling, she turned to look up at Kakyoin.

"Now, you try!"

After a moment, he scratched his cheek, somewhat embarrassed, and turned to the sea.

"All right, then," He agreed, clearing his throat, "I'm Noriaki Kakyoin…"

The honor student then raised his hands to his mouth, as his volume increased exponentially.

"…And I'm fine!"

His voice seemed to echo for longer than either of the two expected, as he stood back and put his hand to his chin, perhaps marveling at how far his voice carried.

"Hmm…That _may_ have actually worked. Just a little."

"Heh, I bet. I was expecting some noise, but my eardrums are kind of ringing now."

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Kakyoin asked, his expression growing somewhat panicked.

"No, no, it's fine! I'm exaggerating!" Suki soothed, raising her hands defensively.

"You're _sure_?"

"I'm fine, I'm sure! If I wasn't, I wouldn't be able to hear you right now, would I?"

"You have a point…"

Suki scratched the back of her neck.

 _I never knew how much he worried about me_ , Suki mused, _he never really let on to that. I hope I can convince him that he doesn't need to worry so much!_

"I have to say," Suki smiled, looking out to the horizon of the sea once more, "The smell of the sea is so much stronger here than it was back in Singapore. It's…a nice smell."

"I still can't believe you lived in the desert for most of your life," Kakyoin thought aloud with a gentle smile, "You looked so at home that day, back in Singapore. So vibrant…"

"Hm?" Suki asked, tilting her head.

Seeming to have caught what he had said, the honor student's cheeks heated.

"…L-Lively. You looked lively, then."

"Hm. Well, that might be because of my Stand, you know?" Silently calling out Knight of Cups, Suki watched her Stand twirl happily around her, "You're just so at-home around the water, aren't you, Knight?"

Knight of Cups vehemently nodded. Casting her gaze to Kakyoin, the honor student was surprised to see the watery wraith float about him, tilting her head back and forth and looking at him with expectant white eyes.

"I think she wants you to bring Hierophant Green out," Suki laughed softly, "To be fair, they may have fought together a couple of times, but I don't think they've ever been formally introduced…"

Meeting the Stand's white eyes, Kakyoin smiled and, not a second later, Hierophant Green phased into existence next to him. This seemed to please Knight, as she clapped her sleeved hands together and extended her hand. With no hesitation, Hierophant took her hand in a gentle motion and raised it to his mask, in a gesture of gentlemanly greeting. Knight reddened slightly, as she raised her free hand to her cheek and looked away coyly.

"My, my, such a gentleman!" Suki expressed with a smile, "I wonder where he gets that from…?"

"Hierophant understands how to treat a woman with respect," The honor student explained, giving a knowing smile, "Even if she might give him an odd title."

Suki quirked an eyebrow.

"When did I…?"

"I believe when we first fought together, you called him a 'Green Skittle'?"

"Oh, _God_ , you remember _that_?" Suki groaned. Shaking her head, she wondered aloud, "I have no idea how you all put up with me, back then, I was such a kid…"

"That's simple enough. You're you."

…

 _I'm…not sure where to go from here…_ Suki thought, blushing, _he said something really sweet, and I have no idea what to do. Okay, think. What happened during beach scenes in Mama's romantic comedies…?_

Realizing what he said might have embarrassed the girl, Kakyoin fiddled with his stray strand of hair as he spoke up.

"That… is to say-"

"Hey, Kakyoin?"

He looked at her, curiously, wondering what she wanted to ask. She simply grinned and began to run. Stopping several yards away, she called out to him.

"Um…Catch me if you can!"

She continued running across the beach. Seeing he had no choice, Kakyoin chased after her.

…

After chasing her across the sand bar for a little bit, a much shorter time span than either had expected, the two tiredly sat down side-by-side, in the shade of a palm tree.

"Suki…" Kakyoin spoke, finally having caught his breath, "What in the world are we doing…?"

"Uhm, well…" Suki began, twiddling her fingers, "I…kind of don't know what I'm doing…With this whole…uh… _together_ business…"

…

"I don't either."

"Okay, now I _know_ you're lying to me," Suki shook her head, "You seem like you know _exactly_ what you're doing."

"Believe what you may, but, in all honesty…I haven't had prior experience. The only information I know is from research."

A moment passed, as Suki searched his violet eyes.

"Tell me something. When...When did you do this research?"

"It was before I left Japan. Before I even met everyone," He stared out at the sea with a nostalgic glint in his eyes, "To be perfectly honest...At the time, I was just curious. I had no desire for intimacy at the time, no one caught my eye; and yet, I still found myself feeling..."

The honor student's voice tapered off, as though he had too many thoughts to narrow down into one or two words.

"You had no desire. That changed, though, right?"

He was silent for a few moments before speaking up once more.

"I had originally thought that what I felt was admiration, a sense of camaraderie. These sensations were foreign to me at the time: all I knew for certain was that I did not want to lose what I was lucky enough to obtain. If I overstepped my bounds, intentionally or not, I would immediately reconsider and grow anxious."

Kakyoin laughed softly, a hint of sadness painting his voice.

"In a sense, I suppose I still am the pathetic man who had to be saved from himself."

Suki recalled the stories she had been told, regarding how everyone came together to embark on this journey.

 _Kakyoin was fleshbudded, and Jotaro not only stopped him from attacking a school nurse, but also managed to save him from what would eventually kill him..._ Suki pondered, _it doesn't come as much of surprise that he would look up to him, but to have this much self-loathing..._

"That wasn't your fault, though!" Suki claimed.

"...You're right. Dio was the one who attacked me; however, I could've just sat there and accepted my death. The opportunity to keep my life arose, in exchange for casting my pride away."

His expression tightened as he looked out at the horizon.

"Would you not call that pathetic? I groveled for my life, and, in the end, I became nothing more than a disposable pawn."

...

"I know how you feel."

"Suki, it's alright. You don't have to-"

"Kakyoin."

At the feeling of a smaller hand over his, the honor student cast his gaze to the girl beside him.

"I gave up my pride, too, remember?"

A spark of realization lit up his eyes as Suki continued.

"I just...wanted to bring Kyuu home. I was willing to throw it all away for that end. I just had to stand by and watch as that monster went about his day, waiting for when he would trust me enough to give me the information I wanted. That day never came, and now I know that it never would've come."

She shook her head.

"The point is, you are _not_ pathetic."

"That's-"

"No, don't start that self-deprecating talk again. I'm not having it," Suki denied with a shake of her head.

...

"Hey, you said you had been traveling in Egypt with your family two or three months before you met everyone, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"So, potentially, we could've met before you met Dio..." Suki mused, crossing her arms. She closed her eyes contentedly, "Maybe I could've gone up to you and told you, 'You're not pathetic! You're Kakyoin!' and 'You should get out of here before Dio gets you.'"

The honor student chuckled.

"Bolstering my confidence _would_ be your first priority, wouldn't it?"

"I mean," Suki cast her eyes away as her cheeks heated, "They probably wouldn't be separate sentences. I don't know if they'd necessarily be in that order or not, but my point still stands."

Kakyoin draped his arm across the girl's shoulders and coaxed her closer. She tensed, at first, but then eased into his touch, leaning on his shoulder.

"Much as I would appreciate the warning, I can't help but feel there would be a downside."

Suki looked up curiously, tilting her head in silent question.

"I curse myself for giving in to weakness that day. I truly do. But, if that hadn't happened...I wouldn't have met any of you. I never would have met Polnareff, or Mr. Abdul, or Mr. Joestar..."

Kakyoin brushed her hair away from her face, gently gripping her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"I never would've met Jotaro. And, I never would've met you, Suki,"

He smiled then. Not as a gesture of comfort, but as a genuine display of happiness.

"What happened that day...truly _was_ a blessing in disguise."

"Kakyoin..."

With a small smile, Suki reached up and wrapped her arms around her partner's neck, pulling him in closer as she closed the distance between their mouths. Kakyoin kept an arm wrapped around her shoulders, letting his other hand trail from her face, down her neck. Suki shivered as he slowly dragged his fingers across the sensitive skin, parting her lips in a quiet moan. He took this opportunity to open his own mouth, their breaths mingling before he dipped his tongue past her lips, licking at her own in a teasing manner before intertwining with it. She tightened her grip around him in response, desperate for more contact, as she crossed one of her legs over his. Delicately, she pushed her own tongue out to explore his mouth, breathing a small sigh, as he let his hand drift to her rear, lifting her up onto his lap. The girl pulled back from the lip lock, a trail of saliva still connecting them, as she tried to catch her breath.

"Q-Question…What kind of… _'research'_ did you do?" She asked between pants.

His eyes fell half-lidded as a small smirk crossed his features.

"How much…do you want to know…?"

Kakyoin let his hand trail down to her legs, stroking the tanner skin as he pressed feather-light kisses across her cheek and down her neck. She mewled and fidgeted, as he worked his way back up her neck, leaning in close, letting his hot breath ghost over her ear.

"Do you _want_ me to tell you?" He murmured, pushing her hair back from the sensitive shell.

"I…I-I do…"

Catching his gaze out of the corner of her eye, she saw him staring at the bruise on her ear once more. About to voice a complaint, she was surprised in the next moment, as he leaned closer and firmly pressed his lips against the mark, as though he were trying to wipe it away.

"Kakyoin…"

"Suki," The honor student pulled back, smiling at the girl gently. His next request was startling, to say the least.

"Could you call me 'Noriaki'?"

"Nori…aki…" The girl smiled sheepishly, her face quickly growing red.

"It doesn't have to be out in public yet, but…I want _you_ to call me that."

"…I might forget a bit at first…But, I'll do it for you…Noriaki."

He planted his lips on hers once more, ecstatic that she had accepted, as he placed his hands on her cheeks. Suki wrapped her arms across his back and tilted her head, deepening the kiss as they were accompanied by nothing but the sounds of the waves washing over the shore over and over again.

* * *

Wishing she could have spent more time with Kakyoin, unfortunately, Joseph had called out to the two of them, asking if the honor student could do something for him. She acted as though it had been no bother, however, as she mentioned checking on Jotaro and seeing what he was up to. As she walked into the cabin on the boat, she was met with a sight she had not expected to see.

Jotaro was reclined comfortably on the couch, his legs resting on the table, a closed fist propping his head up from the arm. His eyes were closed, as he gently held a colorful, picture-covered book littered with Japanese characters.

"Jo~ta~ro?" Suki called quietly, tiptoeing up to his side.

On closer inspection, his brow was unfurrowed, and his face lacked its usual stoic nature, a rare sight indeed, as he breathed softly through his nose.

 _Heh…He looks kind of cute like this…_ Suki thought, smiling softly, _I guess that dream with Death 13 took more of a toll on him than I thought._

Turning to the book he held, she cocked her head.

 _Hmm…I wonder what he fell asleep reading…?_

Ever-so-gently, she slipped the book out of his hand and flicked back through what he had presumably read, careful not to bend the pages. All of a sudden, she stopped, as her eyes fell upon a scene that rang familiar to her.

* * *

In the picture, a fit boy laid face-down in the dirt in a schoolyard, as a lanky, delinquent-looking-student loomed over him. The lanky student appeared to be holding a girl captive on one arm, as he turned and snarled at her.

"Wait, have you two even kissed yet?"

The next panel showed the delinquent's lips turning up in a sly grin, as his dark figure towered over the overwhelmed female.

"It'd be a real shame if someone were to take your first kiss…"

The boy on the ground clenched his fist, trying to pick himself up as he murmured.

"You leave me no choice."

The fit boy snapped, and the sound of a gunshot rang through the air, with a hole exploding in the shoulder of the delinquent. Screaming in agony, he fell back, nearly taking the girl with him; however, seemingly out of nowhere, the boy caught the girl with ease, despite his numerous wounds.

"You okay?" He asked with an expression of determined concern.

The girl looked away, blushing as she responded.

"Y-Yes. Thank you, Shiro."

The boy, Shiro, nodded and looked over the delinquent, in a framing similar to the first shot where Suki had begun reading.

"You know, you had a perfectly good chance to take someone's first kiss," Shiro taunted with a smug grin.

In the next panel, the boy suddenly yanked the girl in close and kissed her lips. Her expression morphed into one of shock, before settling into content, as her eyes slipped closed. The two lingered on each other's lips before Shiro pulled back and looked over the delinquent, self-satisfied.

"And now you never will."

* * *

"This is…This is like that one time…" Suki murmured, her eyes narrowing in recognition.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Suki jumped. Unbeknownst to her, Jotaro had awoken and sat up. He had only spoken upon noticing that his book was in her hands. She followed his eyes and looked at the book in her hands. The girl turned her gaze back to him, trying to discern what he was feeling. His gaze seemed…defensive? After a moment, she gave him a meek smile and handed the book over to him.

"Sorry, I should've asked first."

"Hm," Was all he said, as he took the book from her.

A moment passed, as an oddly tense silence stagnated in the room.

"So, is Shiro a role model to you?" Suki finally piped up.

Jotaro said nothing.

"Jotaro?"

"What if I don't want to talk about it? Ever think of that?" He snapped at her.

Suki flinched at his harsh tone, before turning to look at her empty hands in her lap, as she twiddled her thumbs.

"I just think it's really cool that you look up to fictional characters," She spoke softly.

The thug moved to get up.

"Jotaro?"

He stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets, his expression indiscernible as he stood over her with his back turned.

"I don't need your pity. Just leave me alone."

Jotaro walked past Suki in a firm stride. The girl took his wrist as he passed, standing up after him without a word.

"If it bothers you that much…Can't we talk about it?"

"…What is there to talk about?"

"Why are you embarrassed by this?"

…

"You remember, back on the train, how I talked about the stories I grew up with? I asked if you thought my love of those stories was dorky, and you said 'no, not really.' How is this any different?"

…

"Jotaro, the last thing I want is to make you sad, or angry…or embarrassed. I don't…" She swallowed, "I don't want to lose what I have with you. I want to know what I did wrong, so I can make it up to you. So…Please?"

…

He finally responded.

"Everyone grows up with fairy tales. They don't take them to heart, though."

"…Most don't, but…"

"Put it this way," The man finally turned to the girl, his hat still obscuring his eyes as he spoke, "If you saw a full-grown man across the street, reading a book of kids' fairy tales, and he started going on about how he saw monsters everywhere in the world, would you take him seriously?"

"…"

"No, you wouldn't," He pulled his cap down lower, "No one would take him seriously."

"…"

"You talk about being a knight, but you don't try and slay dragons or rescue damsels in real life. You…don't try to act…"

"…I guess I'm no one then."

…

"…What?" Jotaro asked, his expression unchanging.

"You said 'no one would take him seriously'…" Suki scratched the back of her neck as she continued, "So, I guess I'm 'no one,' because I _might_ take him seriously. He has a _reason_ for thinking those things, for acting like that. If he wanted me to hear him out, I'd want to listen to him.

"You act like I would shame you for following after fictional characters like this. Jotaro, I _respect_ you. Before, it was because you were even more of a hero than I could ever hope to be. If anything, I respect you even _more_ now, knowing that we look up to similar role models."

Finally, the girl let go of Jotaro's wrist, sitting back down on the couch as she smiled wistfully.

"If you're still mad at me for what I did, that's okay. I was nosy. I deserve it. But, whatever or whoever you look up to…That's nothing to be embarrassed about. What you choose to do with that inspiration…Well, look at what you've done on this journey. Is all of that _really_ something you feel embarrassed by?"

Suki could not discern the look Jotaro was giving her, but, no matter what he was feeling, she wanted to tell him how she felt. She smiled.

"It's cool. It's _really_ cool, and you're really cool. And don't let anyone tell you different, okay?"

Her friend was silent, as he lowered his head slightly, allowing his cap to cover his eyes once more.

"You really are one of a kind, aren't you?"

Suki closed her eyes and chuckled.

"I guess you're still intrigued by-!"

She was cut off abruptly, as Jotaro lowered to her level, pulling the girl into a tight embrace. The girl was vaguely aware of the sound of something light making contact with the fabric of the couch. All she could focus on was the sudden warmth she felt, the foreign feeling of this distant man initiating physical contact with her falling away into obscurity, as the last words she expected to hear reached her ears.

"…Thank…Thank you."

…

Slowly, Suki reached up and embraced him back, her arms tightening around his firm figure.

"I…should be thanking you, Jotaro."

A moment passed, as the two simply held each other. Suki spoke up soon after.

"I…I only had my brother, my mother, and my stories for the longest time. Even so… I still felt lonely…I never questioned it, but how I acted…I felt like I was shutting myself away more and more…But, now…Now that I'm with you, and Kakyoin, and Polnareff, and Mr. Joestar…I…don't feel that loneliness anymore."

She paused. Coming to a decision, she nestled into him, reveling in his heat as her cheeks flushed.

"So, thank you. Helping me, talking to me…Just being here…It means…more than you know."

…

"Jotaro?"

"Hm?"

"Can we…" She swallowed thickly as she made her request heard, "Can we stay like this? Just for a little while?"

The girl shook slightly as she spoke.

"…I just…I miss them…I miss them so much…"

Jotaro did not respond.

His eyes landed on his hat, sitting abandoned behind her.

His gaze drifted back to the girl in his arms.

 _What's…going on with me?_ He thought, _this is…_

Pushing the confusing thoughts out of his mind, Jotaro simply tightened his hold, refusing to let go of Suki, as he patiently waited for her sobs to quiet, and her tears to run dry.

* * *

Later that evening, the sun having long since set, leaving nothing but a thick cloud cover to accompany the darkness, Joseph and Kakyoin stood at the front of their boat.

"Where did Polnareff go?" Mr. Joestar asked no one in particular.

Jotaro leapt down from the bow of the ship, landing on the sand casually, making the near-fifteen-foot drop distance look like a breeze to clear.

"He's not here, either," He claimed.

"It's gotten rather dark. Where could he have gone?" Kakyoin mused, bringing a hand to his chin.

"He couldn't have run into the enemy, could he?" Jotaro queried.

The honor student seemed to realize something, as he scanned the area frantically.

"Wait, where's Suki?" He turned to Jotaro as he asked, "Wasn't she with you?"

"She told me she was going to look for Polnareff," The thug responded. Though intended to ease his worries, this only seemed to make Kakyoin even more flustered.

"Then, shouldn't we go looking for them?!"

"Relax, Kakyoin," Mr. Joestar reassured, "This island isn't that big. I'm sure they found each other and they're just fine."

Kakyoin pursed his lips in concern, before sighing and folding his arms.

"I…really hope you're right…"

Jotaro cast his gaze to Kakyoin before staring out at the foliage stretching out in front of them. His eyes narrowed as a single thought crossed his mind.

 _Damn it…You'd better be safe._

* * *

"Polnareff?" Suki called out, casting her gaze left and right as she scoured the area she had seen him walk to that day.

The nighttime darkness, usually gracing environments with a gorgeous view of the vast ocean of stars, did nothing to assist the girl in her search. Clouds drifted lazily across the sunless sky, too light to be stormy, but thick enough to contribute to the already dark time of day.

She brushed several bushes out of the way, before hearing a loud splash. Turning, she saw Knight of Cups emerge from the water with a dejected expression.

"So, no luck around the perimeter…" Knight shook her head.

 _I know I saw him over here, when I was walking along the beach with Kakyo…Noriaki, earlier,_ Suki thought, bringing a hand to her chin. Even when she and Kakyoin had tried to reach out to him earlier, he surprised them both by turning them down, continuing to stare off into the horizon with a contemplative expression. Even now, she could easily re-imagine the Frenchman's uncharacteristically dismal aura. She shook her head.

"I'm worried," She mused, walking back along the sand, "I hope he hasn't run into trouble-!"

As the girl paced along, she stubbed her toe. Stumbling, she held her foot with gritted teeth.

"Ow…Dammit, that hurt!" As she cursed, she shifted her attention to her foot's assailant, her eyes landing on a somewhat shiny object poking out of the ground. On closer inspection, the item rang familiar to fairy tales she had read as a young girl. The unique shape was unmistakable.

"What the…? A…lamp?" Suki took a step towards the object, before stopping and returning to her original position, "No, no…I shouldn't jump to conclusions. But…" She let her stare swing to the rock she had seen Polnareff sitting on, "If this was just lying here, Polnareff _definitely_ would've seen it…" Turning back to the lamp, Suki reached down and lifted it out of the sand.

"Maybe if I think like him…That'll lead me to him…And in this situation…I think he would've…" the girl rubbed the midsection of the lamp, pressing down with her thumb. All of a sudden, a forceful typhoon of clouds whirled out of the spout, startling her as she dropped the object.

"Yikes! …Huh?" Nothing else seemed to accompany the miniature storm that emerged from the lamp, a trail of steam the only remnants of any activity having occurred with the item, "Just a cheap party trick…?"

Just as Suki considered using a different approach to find her friend, she suddenly felt an overwhelming presence at her back. Whirling around and jumping back, she laid eyes on a truly peculiar sight.

Behind her floated an asymmetrical fusion of what looked to be different mechanical components and widgets. On any other occasion, Suki would have dubbed it a robot, if not for its eerie, ghostly eyes. The apparition's eyes looked quite similar to those of Hierophant Green, if the eyes of Kakyoin's Stand had been rotated 180 degrees and had been painted a shining emerald green color.

Just as Suki began to wonder if she truly had summoned a genie of the lamp, the ghost began to speak.

"Three! You get three!" The apparition splayed the three fingers on its hand out, "I'll grant your wishes. Tell me three things you desire."

"…Wait, really?"

The genie folded his arms and nodded.

"My name is Cameo. I want to thank you for freeing me from the lamp. So tell me your three wishes."

…

 _Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to take this opportunity with both hands…_ Suki pondered, _But, I have more pressing priorities at this moment than…what I_ really _want._

"Can you…tell me where Polnareff is?"

"Is the answer to that question your first wish?" Cameo asked, tilting his head quizzically, "Are you sure you want to make a boring wish like that?"

"Hmm…Let me rethink that, then."

A moment passed. Then, the girl spoke.

"All right, then. I would like a pair of binoculars."

"You want to make a boring wish like that? I can make your wildest dreams come true, if you so please."

Suki shrugged.

"I'm a simple girl, with simple desires. What more can I say?"

"Very well. I'll grant that wish."

The genie then brought his arms up and in front of him, as he vanished in a puff of smoke, letting out an odd cry.

"HAIL 2 U!"

Casting her gaze about, only one question came to Suki's mind.

"Where are they?"

Knight emerged from her user, joining the hunt, before jolting in realization. She swiftly glided into the brush, as her user tilted her head in curiosity. A moment later, the Stand emerged with the binoculars Suki had requested. The girl took them with a nod, as she locked her stare onto a tall palm tree. Shoving the item into her satchel, she climbed the arbor with the agility of an orangutan, reaching the top in almost no time at all. Pulling out the binoculars, Suki began to look through them into the brush stretching out in front of her, for what seemed like miles.

"Ugh..." Suki grumbled, "It's too damn dark."

"Your second wish is…?" Cameo coaxed, materializing beside her.

"Uh, gimme a minute."

"Come, now, you seem to forget. I am a _genie_. Unlimited cosmic power…"

"Itty bitty living space," Suki muttered, "…Right?"

"Exactly."

"Well, I'll get back to you once I've thought of something…" The girl murmured, trying to will her body into being able to see, narrowing her eyes.

"What is there to think of?" Cameo floated to her other side, placing a hand over his chest, "Your heart's deepest desires could be made _reality_ …"

Suki raised an eyebrow, never tearing her eyes from the binoculars.

"You sure are laying on the pressure, for a genie…"

"I only wish to please the one who released me from my prison," The genie moved in front of the girl and gently pushed the instrument down from her eyes, looking on with what Suki could only assume to be puppy-dog eyes, "Please, it can be _anything_. I can give you anything, any _one_ you so desire…"

Her lips parted slightly in surprise. She swallowed.

"Any…Any _one_?"

"Anyone."

 _I…I_ do _have two more wishes…I could…I could wish for…_ Suki bowed her head in thought, closing her eyes, _Big Bro…Mom…I…_

…

"I…do have a wish."

"Please, ask me of anything."

"I want…I want…"

The clouds moved through the sky, finally parting and revealing the long-missed silver moon. The glowing crescent shined softly, illuminating a pair of figures, far off in the distance. Raising the eyepiece back up, Suki finally saw the man she had been looking for, alive and well, standing in front of a woman who appeared to be wanting for clothes, covering herself modestly.

The girl lowered her binoculars and fixed a determined gaze on Cameo, her mouth setting in a firm line.

"I want to know if my brother and mother are safe."

A pause. Then, the genie spoke, shaking his head.

"Nooope!"

"Yeah, I had a feeling," Suki dismissed flippantly, as she descended from her perch, rushing in the direction in which she had spotted her friend.

"You still don't get it? I'm a-wait, what?" Cameo only seemed to notice at that moment that his "savior" had departed. With no more hesitation, he disappeared, reappearing in a puff of smoke next to the girl as she sprinted through the thick vegetation. She spoke without even sparing the "genie" a glance.

"I had a feeling you were a Stand. I'm guessing…Judgment?" Cameo flinched, "Hm. Interesting."

"You…How did…you…?!"

"Know?" Suki smirked, "I grew up on fairy tales. Genies are no strange force to me. If you were a real genie, you'd be clever enough to screw me over no matter what I wished for. Even if you were the fiercely loyal type of genie, you wouldn't critique me on what I wanted. You wouldn't ask questions. After all, you owe me for 'releasing' you, don't you?

"As for figuring out your Stand…Abdul…" Suki refused to let darkness cloud her thoughts, as she merely narrowed her eyes and continued on, "At one calmer point during our journey, I asked him how many other major arcana Stand users there were along the journey. He explained each of the arcana's meanings to me, as a means of allowing me to get an idea of what our enemy's powers could be. Striking out each one we've already faced, that only leaves The Fool, The High Priestess, Judgment, and The World. Twisting the desires of people to harm them in some way… Rings all too much like raining Judgment down upon them, wouldn't you say?"

…

"What's with the silent treatment?" Suki asked cautiously.

"…I believe you underestimate my power. For, you see, Polnareff has already exhausted his three wishes."

 _Goddammit, Polnareff._

"…And one of them may just be of interest to you. He wished for… a certain man to be brought back from the dead."

Suki's eyes widened.

 _He…He_ didn't _, did he…?_

At that moment, she tripped over a large object, obscured by the darkness and brush.

"Ah! ...Ow, ow, ow…" Suki hissed through her teeth, her hands having landed on sharp brambles resting on the dirt.

"Miss Kanao…" A familiar voice called, "No, you wanted me to… call you Suki…"

"N-No…"

Wheezing, the girl turned to look at what, or rather _who_ , she had stumbled over. As her eyes adjusted, she saw a large, red-robed figure with black hair lying flat on the ground. He slowly rose, revealing his golden necklace, white headband, and facial markings, his eyes remaining closed.

"Then again, I don't feel I should extend such a courtesy…"

The man's eyelids flew up over a right eye that was as vibrant an amber color as Suki remembered. The left eye, on the other hand, had a ghastly purple color replacing the white normally surrounding the iris. The man's brow furrowed as he bared his teeth in an animalistic manner, growling out to her.

" _To someone who couldn't even save me_ …"

Suki's eyes shook as she stared down at the man she had previously thought dead. _Knew_ dead.

 _No…I…_ Suki could barely form words in her mouth or thoughts in her head, as her mind reeled from the sheer lunacy of what was happening. Here was the man she had wanted so desperately to save that day back in Calcutta. Here he was, back from the dead.

Isn't this what she had wanted?

"A-Ah…" Suki's voice died pitifully in her throat.

"You…will pay for what you've done!"

Abdul lunged ferociously at the girl, pushing so hard off the dirt that his hands left imprints in the ground. Suki couldn't even scream as she rolled to the side, scrambling to her feet and rushing away from her attacker.

 _No…_ Suki thought, _no, no, no, no no no No No No NO! It…It wasn't supposed to be like this. It should_ never _have been like this!_

Dashing through the bushes, something seemed to reach out and grasp Suki's ankle, throwing her unceremoniously onto the ground once again. However, as she turned onto her back, the person she saw was not Abdul. She paused.

A woman stared icily at her. Long black hair, scraggly and unkempt from presumably days of neglect, draped over the right side of her face. Deep crow's feet seemed to drag a once-warm hazel eye down into a permanently fatigued state, the other obscured by her thick locks of hair.

"Mom…?"

"Why…" The woman trembled, tears beginning to stream down her worn cheeks as she asked in vain, "Why did you leave me alone again?"

Suki seemed to snap back to reality.

"N-No, let go!"

With a guilty look, she kicked at her mother's face. Ms. Kanao reeled from the blow, loosening her grasp on her daughter's ankle just enough for the girl to crawl backwards from her new assailant. Out of nowhere, Abdul pounced onto her. Unable to react in time, Suki's arms were pinned to the ground with an iron grip. Pressing his deathly cold body onto the girl, Abdul viciously bit into her shoulder.

"Aaaaaaaaiiiiyeeehh!" She screeched at the top of her lungs.

Suki pulled her legs in and shoved them into Abdul's stomach with all of her might. The man was forced back by the blow, allowing her to leap to her feet and flee.

 _Mom…Why are_ you _here?!_ Suki asked herself in vain, _I…I didn't wish…I didn't make that wish!_

"You're probably wondering why you saw your mother."

Startled, Suki looked up and behind her to see Cameo looming over her once more.

"You _did_ wish to know if your family was safe."

"I asked for _information_! I didn't ask you to bring them here!"

"Ah, but in that wish, I could discern what you _truly_ wanted," Cameo explained, as he assumed a lounging position in midair, "You didn't want to know _whether_ they were safe. You wanted to know that they _were_ safe."

"I never thought they were _dead_ , though!"

"But you _have_ had your doubts…haven't you?"

Suki's eyes widened.

 _...Deep_ down…She thought, _Deep down, I thought…I thought I had already failed…Ever since we fought Yellow Temperance, their safety was always a question on my mind…It only really grew to consume me…When we fought Steely Dan…I doubted myself, worried about their safety, but…I knew…I knew that as soon as I accepted that Dio could've taken them away from me…I would lose…I would lose_ everything _…My drive, my strength…my sanity…I always pushed those doubts down, down, down, so I could keep moving…Maybe…Maybe I_ did _always think they were…that they were…!_

Suki shook her head.

"N-No…No! I won't believe it!" She glared at Cameo, as she threw her arm to the side, "You're just a better genie than I thought! You twisted my words around so you could sic my family on me!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," The Stand shrugged, "And, if I'm correct, I believe this next sleep of yours will be _particularly_ long…"

"What…? I thought Dio didn't want me dead?! I thought he had some grand plan in store for me, or some such?!"

"Lord Dio is perfectly pleased with seeing you suffer. Whether that suffering leads to your death or not, he does not seem to have a preference," If Cameo had a mouth, he would surely be grinning maliciously, based on the tone of his voice, "What better way to see you suffer as your last shred of life escapes your grasp, than to see you struggle fruitlessly with the people you care about the most? Speaking of which…I have one more surprise for you. HAIL 2 U!"

The Stand vanished in another puff of smoke, leaving the dead night air to accompany the girl. She clenched her fist, her fingernails digging harshly into her palm.

"You…cheating bastard!" She shouted at the sky.

"Sister…"

Suki gasped. Turning slowly, she spotted a man, dark skinned with black hair, a shimmering blue eye that seemed to slice through the dark night on the visible side of his face. Luscious black locks cascaded over the right side, covering his right eye.

"B-Big Bro…?" Tears sprang up in Suki's eyes as she gazed at her long-lost brother, "You…You're…"

"Haven't you missed me, Little Sis? I've been looking everywhere for you, you know," Kyuu extended a hand out to his sister, "Come on, let's go home. Back to where you belong."

"Suki, dear…" Ms. Kanao's voice lilted, as she rose from the grass, walking up next to her son. Her expression was apologetic as she spoke, "I…I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else. I lost myself completely. Can you forgive me?"

"Big Bro…M-Mom…"

"You still have that necklace, don't you? Let's go home and fulfill that promise," Her brother suggested, a gentle smile turning up his lips.

"You've grown up so much, Suki," Her mother praised, as she placed her hands over her heart, "You wanted to find Kyuu, didn't you? That means you can come home now."

Suki reached under her shirt and pulled out her necklace. Her gaze lingered over the glowing, soft star shape, brighter than usual under the cloudy, dark sky.

 _You both…No…I can't…_

Tightening her grip on the amulet, Suki wailed, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head.

" _Stop taunting me, bastard!_ "

"Do you…not want to come home, Suki?"

A moment passed, as Ms. Kanao's question sunk in. Suki swallowed thickly, finally responding as she replaced her necklace.

"I-I can't go home…Not yet…"

"I see," Kyuu stated blandly, "So, all of these years we spent together, all of this time…You _really_ don't care about it at all, do you?"

"What…? No, that's not…"

"You seem to be just fine being with that group of strange men," Her mother expressed emotionlessly, "How could you abandon your own family for them?"

"I _wasn't_ abandoning you!" Suki cried out, "I was going to bring everyone back! I didn't want you to be alone!"

Kyuu shook his head.

"It's clear now. You never cared about either of us. You just wanted to fulfill some desire of going on a journey without me. Well, look where that got you."

Kyuu and Ms. Kanao both stepped forward, a powerful gust of wind blowing by as they did so. The breeze blew away the hair obscuring their right eyes. Each family member had a glowing, cloudy blue eye, utterly, hauntingly lifeless, surrounded by a ring of decaying skin and muscle.

"You couldn't save us. You couldn't even save _one_ innocent life."

"No…No, that's not true!" Suki denied, holding her head in her hands, willing the figures of her family away as she dug the heels of her hands into her eyes.

"You can still join us, sweetheart…" Ms. Kanao called out gently.

Suki looked up with a tearstained face.

"You can join us…" The two expressed softly. They lunged at the girl, bellowing demonically.

" _In hell_!"

" _No!_ "

Suki turned and tried to run away. She was stopped by a wall of muscle, as Abdul shoved her harshly onto the ground. The three began to gnaw away at her body, as the girl shrieked in agony, her own blood staining the nearby vegetation crimson. She struggled fruitlessly against the three. Abdul bit viciously at her shin, as Kyuu ripped flesh out of her untouched shoulder, her mother feasting on her opposite wrist. After a moment, the girl stopped.

Suki gazed up at the moon with glassy eyes, her voice long-dead.

 _Is this…really the end…?_

…

…

…

 _I'm…I'm so goddamn stupid…_

 _I should've expected this…I went rushing in alone again…_

 _Abdul…Abdul_ died _because someone went off alone…_

 _Why couldn't I learn from that…?_

…

" _I think you're a hero, too."_

Kakyoin's kind words reverberated through Suki's mind like bells, sounds bouncing off the walls that pointed her towards the answer she had been seeking.

 _That's…what I wanted to be._

 _I thought…I could get stronger by fighting all my battles alone. I had grown up with someone always fighting by my side, so I thought if I threw myself into danger…I'd get stronger faster…_

 _Such a selfish wish…_

Suki laughed sadly as she closed her eyes.

 _What did Abdul see in me, anyway…?_

 _I'm just…washed up…_

…

…

…

… _No…_

… _No, it never was_ just _him…_

 _Back on the train, Joseph told me…_

" _So, don't think you're dragging us down. You're strong, too, just in a different way."_

 _Then…Polnareff, at the hospital…_

" _You're strong, there's no question."_

 _On the boat, Kakyoin smiled and said…_

" _Just do what feels right to you. I'll believe in you all the way."_

 _But…_

 _Even before all of that…Abdul…He wasn't even the first person to tell me that I was strong…That I was…useful…_

" _Listen, we would've ditched you a long time ago if you didn't contribute anything."_

 _Jotaro…_

…

… _Of course…I was pushing so hard to be a hero…To be someone who could stand alongside the others, as we went to fight Dio…I…I didn't even notice that…_

 _They already thought I was a hero…!_

… _I…I…!_

" _I can't let it end like this!_ "

The girl created two water knives from her discarded blood in her hands. Dexterously maneuvering her restrained hands, she managed to move just enough to stab her mother and her brother in the shoulder. The weapons left crumbly holes behind, as the two leapt back, hissing in pain. Despite this startling development, Suki kicked Abdul in the face, rising up as quickly as she could as he reeled in pain. The new pain in her shin slowed her, but did not stymie her from creating distance between all three of her assailants.

 _They…They_ aren't _real people…_ Suki realized, as she spat out a glob of blood, _that sure would've been nice to know earlier._

"Hm. So the sniveling brat _does_ have some fight left in her, after all," Cameo mused, folding his arms, "I thought you would've given in completely, considering who you're up against."

The three clay dolls began to move in closer, sizing Suki up as though she were the prey they three predators had been searching weeks for.

"That fight won't last forever, though."

"No, you're wrong."

"Eh?" The Stand tilted his head.

"My friends…They've taught me something important…" Near breathless, Suki stood up straight as she glared at the apparition, "Becoming a hero doesn't end the story."

"Get her!" Cameo commanded.

Kyuu and Ms. Kanao rushed at the girl.

"I'll see you two soon," She whispered tearfully, refusing to move as they quickly closed the distance between themselves and their target. As they came up right in front of her, Suki raised her head and created two watery sabers, glinting a deep red color underneath the moonlight, shoving each into each of her attackers' stomachs. They gasped, paralyzed by the attack.

"My…dear daughter…"

"Sis…ter…"

The two smiled sadly, tears flowing down their cheeks, as they crumbled into fine dust. Suki stumbled slightly, facing down Abdul, who had stridden closer. The two were only a few yards apart. She steadied her breathing before speaking.

"Ever since I was a kid, I was taught that heroes were perfect. Strong, confident… _invincible._ But…In reality…They aren't. At least, not in the clean-cut way they were in my stories. They make mistakes. They can be jerks. And sometimes, they even need help. Even as a hero, you keep getting stronger. You _never_ stop growing. Every one of my friends has taught me that.

"Even if I haven't seen it myself…My friends _have_ seen my strength…My ability to be a hero…I still need to be alongside other people to fight, but, you know what?"

Suki gave a genuine smile.

"That's okay."

She turned her gaze skyward and began to shout.

"Do you see me now, Abdul?! I _am_ strong! I _do_ have faith in how strong I am, what it _means_ for me to be strong! And it's all because of you! I'll never forget what you did for me that day!"

The girl turned back to the fake Abdul, assuming a defensive stance.

"I hope…I hope you can rest in peace now, knowing that."

"I can."

"Oh, that's- wait," The girl had watched the fake Abdul as she had heard those words.

The fake Abdul's mouth had not moved.

And yet, she _knew_ she had heard Abdul's voice.

"You…didn't say that…"

Suddenly, the fake Abdul erupted into a pillar of flame, screaming in agony. Suki's eyes grew wide, until, from behind the fiery tower, two silhouettes came into view. The flame disappeared in an instant, leaving two men standing where it once burned. One was Polnareff, grinning widely.

The other wore a red robe, with black, uniquely styled hair. His white headband and golden necklace stood out, even in the darkness, but, what caught Suki's eyes the most were the man's confident amber eyes. This man was…He…was…

"You…You…are…"

Suki rubbed at her eyes hard, positive that she was hallucinating.

"I can assure you, Suki, you aren't dreaming."

She heard footsteps approach through the brush, stopping directly in front of her.

"I can also assure you of this."

The man, that Suki was sure was just a figment of her imagination, placed his hands on her wrists and gently pulled them from her face. His smile was warm, as his gleaming eyes scanned her from top to bottom.

"You have matured into an even stronger woman. Take pride in that."

… _This…_

Suki felt the unmistakable heat she had attributed to the man she had thought dead coursing through his palms as he gripped her wrists. She began to cry once more, as the happiest of smiles crossed her features.

 _This is_ real. _It…It isn't a dream…!_

"Abdul…"

Suki bowed her head, letting her tears fall to the ground.

"I can't believe it…I can't believe it, but…you're back…I…I'm glad…so glad you're back…!"

Feeling a pat on her head, Suki looked up to see Polnareff, giving her a gentle smile.

"Glad you're okay, too, Suki."

Something different, almost imperceptible, sat in Polnareff's gaze, as his eyes softened. On closer inspection, Suki could see that Polnareff was also bloody in multiple places, sporting similar bite marks on his body.

She smiled at him.

"Yeah. I'm glad you're okay."

Ruining a perfectly happy moment, Cameo lunged out of the grass at the three. In response, Polnareff, Abdul, and Suki all summoned their Stands. This did nothing to stop the enemy Stand's attack, as he knocked them all further away. Suki landed between the two men, the wind having been shoved out of her lungs by the attack. The enemy laughed while floating above them, sitting cross-legged.

"This battle has been decided," he spoke in a self-satisfied manner.

Abdul raised his head slightly, as Polnareff and Suki struggled to even move.

 _Dammit…Those fakes did a real number on me…_ Suki grimaced, gritting her teeth.

"Abdul! Tell me your three wishes! I shall grant them for you. Before you die for real this time! Go ahead! Give it a shot," Cameo allowed, holding out his mechanical hand, splaying his three fingers, "You get three wishes."

"Bastard! He's making fools of us!" Polnareff growled, turning to Abdul, "Abdul, ignore him. Don't make any wishes."

Suki nodded weakly.

Abdul turned and looked at his back.

 _That's…where he got stabbed…right?_ Suki recalled.

The fortune teller smiled.

"Abdul, are you listening to me?" Polnareff asked.

"No…"

Abdul rose to his feet. He then held out four fingers to the enemy.

"Make it four."

"Wha?!" Polnareff exclaimed, standing up.

"Wait…what…?" Suki questioned slowly, rising at a much slower rate.

"What?" Cameo asked, equally baffled.

"Wishes. I mean wishes! I wish to make the three wishes into four."

The enemy Stand seemed surprised, as Abdul turned and brushed his hand out to his hip in a fanning motion, as though encouraging an ember to grow into a larger inferno.

"Tsk, tsk."

Cameo's eyes glinted.

"You can't be serious…"

"Are you denying my wish? Cameo, you're the one that offered!" Abdul shouted, as he summoned Magician's Red, "I will have you keep your promise!"

… _I'm so confused right now,_ Suki thought, feeling it would be better to save all questions for the end.

With a ferocious battle cry, Abdul's Stand flew out at Cameo.

"You still insist upon this futile contest of power?" The enemy Stand asked.

Magician's Red made to aim a right roundhouse at the head of Cameo.

"Such a weak kick," The false genie taunted, as he brought a hand up to guard.

As Magician's Red's leg made contact with a satisfying smashing sound, the shell of the guarding arm crumbled away like glass from a broken window, and the face of the enemy Stand cracked slightly.

"What?"

Cameo screamed in pain at this development.

"Yes! Awesome!" Polnareff exclaimed, pumping his fist.

"He's gotten stronger…!" Suki marveled, her eyes lighting up.

A flame wavered on Abdul's fingertip, as Magician's Red returned behind him. The fortune teller waved his finger, letting the flame flicker out.

"Tsk, tsk. My first wish was to make you scream in pain."

He brought that hand in front of his face in a showy gesture, as he continued.

"It came true."

"I-Impossible!" The enemy Stand cried, "You're strong! You're much stronger than earlier!"

"The wound left after I was stabbed by the Hanged Man hasn't completely healed yet," Abdul explained, reaching for his back, "I was guarding that wound earlier, so I couldn't use all of my strength."

"Wha-" The fake genie started, his face crumbling.

"I was finally able to stand again just three days ago in India. I was able to take a plane here, so the trip was very easy."

"Nothing less from you, Abdul!" Polnareff praised, a wide smile breaking out on his face.

"Keep up the heat, Abdul!" Suki grinned, bringing her fists up to her chin.

"Now, my second wish…" Abdul started.

Magician's Red dashed through the air and appeared behind Cameo, binding fire around his neck and pulling at the ends as though it were a rope. Fire exploded out of Cameo's eyes as he screamed in fear.

"To make you scream in fear! And my third wish…"

Abdul's Stand delivered a harsh kick to Cameo's back, making the enemy Stand's body crumble even more.

"To make you cry in regret!"

The false genie did so, and flipped through the air before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"Th-That bastard! He's running away!" Polnareff shouted, as he began to rush off in the direction Cameo had disappeared in, "Wait, damn you!"

"Shh," Abdul shushed, raising a finger to his lips, "Be quiet, Polnareff."

The fortune teller then sank into the grass, beckoning the other two to follow suit. They did so as quietly as they could, as they leaned in to hear Abdul's explanation.

"With that kind of power and speed…It is the rule of Stands that the user must be somewhere nearby."

"I really missed your insight, Abdul," Suki expressed, as she smiled to prevent herself from bursting into tears again.

"And I, your optimism, Suki," Abdul smiled gently, before turning to scan his surroundings with a serious expression, "We can continue this discussion later, however. We have a Stand user to find."

"R-Right."

 _Same old Abdul, always on top of things,_ Suki mused, _man, what crazy thing_ did _let him come back, though? Was it just luck? Honestly, I'll settle for any explanation. It means Abdul got to live, and that's…That's just a bona fide miracle, and I won't question it, if the world doesn't want me to._

"Could that be-" Polnareff finally spoke up quietly, but excitedly.

"Shh!" Abdul shushed.

Working her way over to the voices of the two men, Suki watched as Abdul picked a small leaf off a plant in an almost silent manner, as Polnareff stood and strafed around what looked to be a small, bamboo straw protruding from the ground. Without a word, Abdul rose to his feet and held the leaf over the thin cylinder, letting the plant matter drop. The leaf landed delicately over the hole, only for it to be forced up by a gust of air from below. Suki raised her eyebrows.

Silently, Abdul inserted his finger into the straw. The sounds of labored breathing reached Suki's ears, as he removed his finger. Whoever was under the ground gasped for air.

 _That must be our guy, then,_ Suki thought.

Polnareff ground his teeth, clearly furious with this person. After a moment, he gestured to Abdul and Suki, silently asking if they wanted to participate in their own act of judgment. Abdul smirked and nodded. Meanwhile, Suki thought for a moment.

 _This guy not only used Abdul against me, but my mom and brother, too,_ she pondered, _even so…_

 _I think I'm just too tired for this._

Suki raised a hand, as though saying, "No, thank you." The two men exchanged a skeptical glance, before shrugging and setting to work. Suki crawled away through the grass, only making it a few yards away before collapsing on the dirt, allowing fatigue to completely take over, as her eyes slipped shut.

* * *

Slowly awakening, Suki noticed that she was now staring up at the moon, the clouds having long since parted from heavy masses to wispy streams in the sky. Polnareff and Abdul knelt on either side of her, too preoccupied with conversing with each other to notice that she had awoken. Suki quickly closed her eyes, as she listened in on the conversation, eyes slightly cracked open.

"But, man, Abdul," Polnareff started, scratching the back of his neck, "I didn't expect you to come up with something so…perverse."

"Hm. You must admit, though, that Stand user had something so cruel coming."

A moment passed, before Abdul spoke again.

"In any event, I must apologize. I take back my statement about how you haven't matured. You fought well, and we certainly wouldn't have gotten to Suki in time if it wasn't for your quick thinking."

"No, you were right. I should be the one to apologize. After all, if it wasn't for me…None of this would've happened in the first place."

Abdul sighed.

"What's past is past. You've matured much since then. That much is obvious."

"Yeah, but I… I just…" Polnareff cast his gaze from the fortune teller, as though thinking himself unworthy of even looking at him.

"Polnareff."

Abdul took the Frenchman by the shoulders, startling him. With a chuckle, he spoke reassuringly.

"I can see why you and her get along so well. You both have similar behaviors, dwelling on past mistakes too much for your own health," The man's smile fell as he continued, pursing his lips, "It is…painful, to see you let your mistakes define you, when you are capable of so much. Please, don't hesitate to speak up if something is troubling you, understand?"

Polnareff paused, as he let these words sink in. After a moment, he pulled the fortune teller into an embrace, tears welling up in his eyes. Abdul seemed startled at this action, but did nothing to pull away.

"I'm so glad…! Abdul…That you're alive…" He buried his face in the shoulder of his comrade, as though desperate to convince himself that what he was seeing and feeling was real, "You're alive…!"

Abdul said nothing. He merely relaxed and brought his arms up and returned the gesture, his eyes closing in contentment.

 _They're…so cute…_ Suki thought, smiling.

At that moment, Abdul turned to her, raising an eyebrow. She quickly bit her lip, preventing her expression from changing again, as she closed her eyes fully. Unbeknownst to her, Polnareff cast his gaze in the same direction, curiously wondering what about the girl had caught the fortune teller's attention. Putting a finger to his lips and grinning mischievously, he began tickling her stomach. Suki's eyes flew open as she squealed in surprise. She sat up quickly, holding her abdomen defensively and fighting off giggles, as Abdul tipped his head back and laughed.

"What…What was that for?!" Suki exclaimed, her smile betraying her offended tone.

"I distinctly remember you saying you were _friends_ with the tickle monster. Has that changed?" Abdul asked, smirking.

Suki inwardly groaned.

 _God, I_ did _say that…_ She recalled, _what was I, five?_

Suki scratched the back of her neck as she smiled sheepishly.

"Heheh, I guess you could say that," She put a hand on her chin, as she chose to finally start asking some questions, "So, what happened? Before you both met up with me," Shaking her head, she turned her gaze to Abdul, "Wait, more importantly, how are you still alive?!"

"I had a feeling you would be surprised," Abdul admitted with a chuckle. He gently pulled up his headband, revealing a small groove, about the size of a bullet, "You see, Hol Horse's bullet only scratched my skin and skull, so it never reached my brain, and wasn't a mortal wound. But I did completely lose consciousness."

A long moment passed. Then, Suki placed her hands on her chest and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Thank God…I…I don't even know how, but… _Somehow_ you survived…I'm so happy…"

All of a sudden, Abdul embraced Suki tightly, wrapping his arms across her back.

"A-Abdul?!" She asked, thoroughly stunned by what was happening, "What the…This isn't like you…"

"Suki, I'm so sorry."

"Wh-What…?"

"You've gone all of this time…All of this time, not knowing the truth."

Abdul moved Suki to arm's length, gripping her shoulders tightly.

"Suki, I am not exaggerating when I say that you _saved_ me."

…

"I-I…saved…?"

"When you stood in front of me in that street, I was initially confused, but that look in your eyes told me two things," Abdul raised one finger, "Firstly, that I was in danger, but I didn't have enough time to react myself," He raised a second finger, "Secondly, you would do everything in your power to stop that danger from reaching me."

The fortune teller placed his hand back on Suki's shoulder, as he smiled warmly at the girl.

"You had a strength of conviction in that moment that reached me faster than the bullet. That water bullet you shot at me pushed me out of the way, just enough that I only suffered minor damage from Hol Horse's bullet. That…was all _your_ doing."

…

…

…

Suki bowed her head, her shoulders shaking. She put a hand to her head, as she cried and laughed.

"I…I don't understand…" Suki warbled, amidst her mixed laughs and sobs, "Why am I…Why am I crying…?"

The two men patiently waited for the girl to calm down before explaining what had happened before they met up with her: how Polnareff had made three wishes to Cameo, how the first didn't affect him, but he wished for his sister to come back, and Abdul to come back, how both of those wishes backfired, how Abdul appeared before him, and how Cameo tried to escape from the both of them. At some point during their retelling of the events, Suki looked down and saw that her wounds had been bandaged up.

 _Did they take care of my wounds while I was asleep…?_ Suki wondered, smiling softly, looking over to Polnareff, _it looks like he got patched up, too. That's good._

"I had thought that I had destroyed that clay effigy of myself for good, but it seems Cameo was more than capable of creating another," Abdul explained, folding his arms.

"That asshole…" Suki shook her head, turning to Polnareff, "I only wished for a pair of binoculars to find you, Polnareff. Jesus."

"That's… _all_ you wished for?" The Frenchman seemed genuinely surprised. Suki sighed.

"I…really wanted to wish for my brother to come back, and for my mom to be safe. I _really_ did. That bastard took advantage of that. I didn't even _commit_ to my wish to know that they were safe. Even then, I didn't ask for them to show up, but he made them appear and sicced them on me anyway. I only went out into the tall grass to find you, Polnareff, but I ended up getting caught up in the whole mess."

"Find me?" Polnareff asked, tilting his head.

"It was getting dark, and you weren't where I found you earlier that day," Suki scratched her cheek as she admitted, "I got worried."

Abdul looked at Polnareff with a smirk.

"Sounds like she's more of a babysitter than a baby sister, Polnareff."

"C-Come on, stop…" The silver-haired man scratched the back of his neck.

"We should go join the others," Abdul suggested, standing up. He extended a hand to Suki, "Can you stand?"

Using his hand as support, Suki pulled herself up, despite the ache in her shin.

"Uh-huh. Thank you."

Abdul began to walk towards the coast, Polnareff and Suki pulling up the rear. The girl looked at the Frenchman concernedly.

"You gonna be okay?"

Polnareff took a deep breath.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. After all," He patted Suki on the head, as he smiled gently, "I'm not alone anymore."

Suki's lips turned up in a soft smile, as her eyes glimmered. They turned and continued to follow the fortune teller. The walk was silent, save for the sleepy sounds of the nighttime wildlife and the rustling of vegetation as they shuffled through it.

"By the way, Abdul," Suki addressed.

"Hm?" Abdul turned back slightly.

"You were really in command of that fight back there. Not gonna lie…"

Suki smirked mischievously.

"It was kind of…hot."

A pause. Then, Abdul chuckled at her joke.

"Oh, really, now?" He asked teasingly.

"No, no, I've got a better one," Suki snickered, "They better call you 'H', Abdul."

"And why is that?"

"Because you turn asses to ashes."

Abdul laughed heartily at this, bringing a hand up to wipe at tears in his eyes.

"Clearly, you have been practicing, Suki. I see that I will need to step up my game."

"Just make sure you bring the heat, Abdul."

The man chuckled, as Suki grinned, turning to Polnareff to see how he was reacting to what was going on. She raised her eyebrows at what she saw.

Polnareff seemed to be in a complete daze, staring at Abdul with a smile stretching from ear-to-ear. His smile seemed to carry undertones of an emotion Suki could not recall seeing on his face.

"Hey, Polnareff?" She called out, waving a hand in front of Polnareff's face. The man blinked, as though emerging from a dream.

"Wha? Huh?"

"Where the hell did you go? You were completely zoned out."

"Ah, uh…" Polnareff's face flushed red, "Just daydreaming, I guess…"

Suki chose not to press the issue as they made their way back to the boat. Her mind, however, decided to wander over this behavior.

 _I'm sensing something…steamy…_

* * *

"Hey! You'll never believe this, guys!" Polnareff called out excitedly to the group on the beach.

"It's _completely_ unbelievable!" Suki chimed in with just as much enthusiasm.

Polnareff gestured behind himself, as Jotaro, Joseph, and Kakyoin all turned to look at the two who had been missing.

"Who do you think we met?"

"Come on, come on! Guess, guess!" Suki goaded.

"Polnareff, Suki! We were worried about you two," Mr. Joestar expressed.

"Some more than others…" Jotaro muttered, as Kakyoin rushed over to the two.

"Where did you get those wounds?" The honor student asked, looking between them. He walked up to Suki, closely examining her, about to place his hands on her shoulders, but deciding against it as he noticed they were bandaged. He settled for worriedly questioning, "Please, what happened?"

"What? No, Kakyoin, you don't have to worry!" The girl raised her hands defensively, gesturing between herself and Polnareff, "I'm fine, Polnareff's fine, we're both fine! Look, here, this way!" Suki took Kakyoin's hand and led him back to the group, despite his continuing questions.

"Were you attacked?" Jotaro asked.

Polnareff sauntered up to the group as he scoffed.

"Who cares about my wounds? Listen!"

He pointed at Jotaro.

"Don't be shocked, Jotaro!"

He turned his point to Kakyoin.

"Don't let your back go out in shock, Kakyoin."

He then turned to Joseph.

"Who do you think we met, Mr. Joestar?"

"Let me tell you, this will blow your minds," Suki addressed the group, as she moved back over to where she and Polnareff had emerged from the brush, "Are you guys ready?"

"Behold and rejoice!" Polnareff spoke with all of the showmanship of a circus ringleader.

Suki and Polnareff spun in a circle, making a showy gesture to the bushes and calling out in unison.

"Tum-ta-da-da! Here he is!"

Abdul strolled out, a smile on his face.

"That bastard Abdul was alive!" Polnareff exclaimed, joining Abdul's side.

"Alive and well, the whole time! How about that?" Suki expressed excitedly, going to the fortune teller's other side.

…

"Well, let's go," Joseph coaxed, picking up a large leather bag.

Abdul walked past Suki and Polnareff, as the two exchanged a confused look.

"Eh?"

"I'll help you carry your luggage," The old man offered.

"Hey, Abdul," Jotaro greeted.

"It's been a while. How are you?" Kakyoin asked.

"Abdul, is that wound on your back all right?" Joseph queried.

"It's fine. A bit stiff, though," Abdul replied.

"Hey…" Polnareff reached out to the group, as they began to walk away.

"Uh, guys…?" Suki scratched her head.

"Has it really been two weeks? Thank goodness we're all still okay," Jotaro spoke.

"Jotaro, you still wear all that stuff? Don't you get hot?" Abdul asked.

"W-Wait a minute…"

"You guys…!"

Suki and Polnareff exchanged another look, before they both fumed. Nearly yelling out at the same time, they made their opinions heard.

"Hey! I said wait, you assholes!" Polnareff called.

"Can you please wait one second?!" Suki aggressively requested.

"Hey, what's the deal with that attitude?" Polnareff asked.

Suki rushed out in front of the group, stopping them in their tracks. They swore they could see steam puffing out of her nose and ears, as she threw her arms to her sides.

"What the hell is this noise?!"

"A guy who was dead came back to life!"

"Yeah!"

Suki pointed at the party in an accusatory manner.

"A bona fide miracle happened, and you all are acting like you knew the whole…"

Her point began to waver, as she looked between each man's face, registering their lack of surprise at Abdul's reappearance.

"Acting like you knew…You knew…"

She glanced from them, to Abdul, to Polnareff, back to Jotaro, Joseph, and Kakyoin.

"You knew…?"

Jotaro sighed, while Kakyoin pursed his lips and looked away.

"You all are _assholes_!"

"Wait, what happened?" Polnareff asked, clearly confused.

"Oh, you two, I'm sorry," Joseph looked between the two, as he explained so casually, "When I said I buried Abdul in India…That was a lie."

"Wh-Wh-What?!" The Frenchman shouted in disbelief.

"It was Mr. Joestar and Jotaro who called a doctor to tend my wounds on my head and back in India," Abdul explained.

"Right, yeah, I was _there_ for that! You've got some 'splaining to do. And by that, I mean," Suki put her hands on her hips and leaned forward, "Start talking!"

"Y-You assholes knew that Abdul was still alive in India, and you didn't tell us?!" Polnareff turned to Kakyoin with a betrayed expression, "You too, Kakyoin?"

"I only found out that evening," The honor student defended, as Suki walked right up to him. He turned his gaze to the girl curiously.

Suki narrowed her eyes, glaring up at Kakyoin.

"Staaaaaare."

Kakyoin put his hands up in a defensive gesture.

"We couldn't let the enemy know. And since Polnareff has such a big mouth…Pardon. Since he can't lie, they suggested that we keep it a secret from him."

"Kakyoin, you're lying," Jotaro accused.

"Lying about what?"

"We wanted to keep this a secret from her, too, for the same reason, and you didn't argue."

"What?!" Suki exclaimed. She leaned forward, pointing at Kakyoin as she continued her verbal assault, "You thought I couldn't keep a secret either?!"

"It's not that you couldn't keep a secret _at all_ ," The honor student explained with a sigh, "We knew that if we told you, but didn't tell Polnareff, you would most likely tell him to make him feel better. From there…Well, you know the rest."

Jotaro turned to Polnareff, tipping his hat up with a finger.

"If you'd let the secret slip, Abdul couldn't have recovered in peace."

"We were planning to tell you both as soon as we knew he was safe, but we had no idea you'd run into him first," Kakyoin looked to Suki with a sheepish expression, "Please…don't be mad…"

Suki fumed, continuing her glare.

"Well, you know what?"

She took a deep breath, and exhaled, seeming to let her anger go with the air.

"You…know me too well."

"Wait, you mean…?" Kakyoin started.

Suki sighed.

"I'm still a bit mad, but I know you guys had reason to do it," Suki folded her arms and closed her eyes in defeat as she admitted, "And…it was a valid reason."

…

Kakyoin pulled Suki into a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're not upset. I'm glad you're alright, too."

"Kent breeth, kent breeth!" Suki gently pushed against his torso.

"M-My apologies!" The redhead released the girl, as she gasped for air, "I lost myself for a moment."

Turning back to the group, she noticed all of them staring at her and Kakyoin. Unsure if the honor student was comfortable acknowledging their relationship in public, Suki decided to avoid risking embarrassment.

"What?" She shrugged, "You guys are acting like hugging someone is the same as a marriage proposal."

"It isn't, but Kakyoin doing something like that-" Polnareff started with a grin.

"No, stop this," Suki shook her head, walking back over to the group, stepping nonchalantly in front of Jotaro, "Look, some people just really want a hug. Here, watch-!"

She leapt at the delinquent, only for him to smoothly sidestep out of the way. Suki landed stomach-first on the sand, skidding slightly. Sitting up, she dusted sand off her front, pouting at Jotaro.

"I am not one of those people," He stated blandly.

"Well, yeah, _I'm_ one of those people."

"Ask for consent next time, then."

"Fine, I will, Grumpy Gills," Suki teased, as she stood up. Jotaro shot her an irritated look, opening his mouth as if he wanted to give a comeback, before Polnareff shouted.

"Oh, yeah, Abdul! Your dad is on this island!" The Frenchman turned and began to run in the general direction of the shack, "Let's let him know you're here!"

"Oh, that was me in disguise," Abdul explained.

Polnareff tripped and fell, skidding forward in the sand. He looked back to the group with tears forming in his eyes.

"Wh-What? Th-Then you guys…That was all…Did you have to go that far?!"

"Okay, that I _kind of_ figured just a moment ago," Suki expressed, "I must say, you had me completely fooled. Well played."

"How dare you guys leave me out like that?!" Polnareff cried out, as he began to sob.

"Hey, now. There's no reason to cry," Joseph coaxed.

 _Oh, jeez, he's actually crying,_ Suki thought.

"I'm sorry," Kakyoin apologized, "I didn't think you'd be this hurt."

"I'm sorry, Polnareff," Abdul spoke gently, "There's a reason I came to this island in disguise."

"A reason?" The Frenchman asked, wiping his eyes.

"It was partially so the enemy wouldn't find out, but I also had Abdul do a little shopping for me," Joseph said.

"A little shopping?" Polnareff asked.

"Uh…What kind of shopping…?" Suki followed up, cocking her head.

"It was a very conspicuous purchase. So I disguised myself as a rich Arab when I bought it," Abdul clarified.

"Now, everyone, we're gonna ride that and leave!" Mr. Joestar yelled to the group, leading them along the sand bar, as they all followed suit.

Suki groaned.

"Please, _God_ , tell me you didn't buy a plane."

"You scarred someone with one plane ride more than you scarred me with two." Jotaro mused, "Must be a new record."

"You're underestimating my piloting skills!" Joseph whined.

"You flew us into a _tree_!" Suki shot back.

"I was distracted!"

"We were _all_ distracted!"

"Kakyoin was asleep," Jotaro interjected.

"You got me, Detective. Looks like I'm going to Liar's Jail," Suki admitted.

"But, that makes four plane crashes, doesn't it?"

"You said the other two both happened in the span of ten years, right?" Suki asked Jotaro, "These last two happened in the span of two weeks. Christ."

Joseph turned his attention to the sulking Polnareff, attempting to ignore the two youths.

"Polnareff, cheer up already. Come on."

Mr. Joestar stopped and pointed at the ocean.

"It's almost here!"

"Wait, what's almost here? There's nothing-"

Suddenly, a colossal, yellow and orange striped submarine burst up from under the waves, about the size of an oil freighter, illuminating the dark ocean with several large lights that shined down on the water and up into the sky.

"What? A submarine?!"

"That's right. From here, we'll ride to Egypt in this!" Joseph exclaimed with a wide grin.

"Y-You're kidding! You really bought something like this?!"

Suki's eyes gazed upon the vessel, marveling over every inch.

 _Is this really how rich people live?_ She wondered.

"Right, we're off, then!" Mr. Joestar rallied, as they set off on the final leg of their journey into Egypt.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen – Burn My Dread

-END—

-TO BE CONTINUED-

* * *

 **Welp.**

 **Guess it's time for me to spill my guts over, in my opinion, the most contentious aspect of this fic: Jotaro's personality.**

 **So, a lot of people have different theories as to why Jotaro barely ever talks. Is it just poor social skills? Does he have a disorder? Or maybe he just doesn't like talking to people? At one point, a friend of mine drew my attention back to his first appearance. In this scene, he is seen to be reading Shounen Jump. My friend made a claim based on this information: that Jotaro attempts to be like the heroes he reads about.**

 **Of course, I was skeptical, but I wasn't displeased by this notion; however, as I re-watched the series for this fic, the statements and one-liners Jotaro made took on a new implication. Not only that, but Jotaro's habits also back up this idea. We're talking about a rough-around-the-edges thug who even beats teachers up, who also reads books about airplanes and boats for fun, and watched the entirety of _Columbo_ (seven seasons at the time, plus two pilots)so he could improve his deductive reasoning skills. I did the math, he would've spent more than the span of two whole days watching the whole series. Here, check my work, I did maths:**

 **190 minutes (Pilots) + 511 minutes (Season 1) + 629 minutes (Season 2) + 676 minutes (Season 3) +520 minutes (Season 4) + 515 minutes (Season 5) + 219 minutes (Season 6) + 405 minutes (Season 7) = 3665 minutes/60 minutes = 61.08 hours ~ 61 hours, 6 minutes (approximately)**

 **...I like math, don't judge. XP**

 **The point is, Jotaro genuinely is a dork, no matter how tough he makes himself out to be. And, you know what? That just makes him cooler, in my opinion.**

 **I have a soft spot for the tough guy with a heart of gold in any sort of fiction. Hell, that's what made Jotaro my husbando numero uno in my books from the first moment he showed up on screen, no shame. In the canon work, I have no idea how much Jotaro is intended to take after these characters he's read about. Perhaps he doesn't at all, my interpretation could be 100% wrong; however, these habits of his make him a more human character, in my opinion, not to mention more developed.**

 **I've read quite a few JoJo fics in my time as a fan of the series, and I can't say I've ever seen someone give a take on this side of him. If you've found one, let me know, I'm genuinely curious!**

 **On a separate note, has anyone here seen the Part 3 OVA? I haven't watched it myself yet, and I've heard various claims about its quality, but I would gladly watch it for the one scene where Polnareff and Abdul reunite in the OVA. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, look up JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OVA by the YouTuber simply named Beck. It's a 55 second video, you should be able to find it).**

 **Just.**

 **I can't. EVEN.**

 **The ship vibes are STRONG.**

 **Anyhow, yes, that _was_ a reference to that scene that I wrote into my fic. You are welcome, PolDul shippers.**

 **When will the next chapter be posted?...Good question. I have some stuff written for the next chapter, but I can't guarantee that it will be on time next week, sorry to say, since college has decided to kick things up a notch yet again and try to screw me over. "-_- I will do my damnedest to post, though. I'm hoping to at least get the fifteenth chapter out before Halloween, but I do not want to make a promise in case I can't.**

 **I'm really happy to hear that some of you guys are really enjoying this fic! This chapter was a blast to write! I hope to any god who's listening that I can post the next chapter on time, but in the meantime, I hope to see you all next week!**

 **-BlueBow**


	16. Chapter 15 - Walk Like an Egyptian Pt I

Chapter Fifteen – Walk Like an Egyptian – Part 1

 **WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by a row of slashes (like this /), unlike the time/scene change denoted by a horizontal line (-). You have been warned.**

 **Agh, finally got this out, I'm sorry to have kept you guys waiting! "-_- Also, apparently, submarines require quite a lot of pairs of hands to keep functioning. This vessel must really be built for leisure, but I'm not sure if it has its own autopilot...Anyhow, hope you enjoy this chapter, more notes will be down below!**

* * *

 _The Red Sea. A rich, diverse ecosystem, home to more than 1200 species of fish, around 10% of which are found nowhere else. Some may say this body of water is named as such due to the east and west shores both being red deserts; however, there are others who surmise the name to come from the seasonal blooms of the red-colored Trichodesmium erythraeum near the water's surface. Inarguable beauty and biodiversity of marine life: truly, this is one of the seven wonders of the underwater world._

 _It really is as beautiful as they say it is…_ Suki mused, looking out the window with wide eyes, _I've spent a lot of time looking up, but I should've been looking down, too._

"Hey, can you drive this thing, Abdul?" Suki turned upon hearing Polnareff's voice. The Frenchman stood looking over Abdul's shoulder, as the fortune teller grasped the steering mechanism. Waving his finger, Abdul reassured his friend.

"Tsk, tsk. No problem."

"I can drive it, too!" Joseph interjected.

"Please, no," Suki spoke weakly, running a hand through her hair.

"You're not driving this thing," Jotaro rejected from the table further behind the pilot's seat, "I'm not letting you crash us again."

"Hmph. You two are so harsh," Joseph said with a shrug.

 _Harsh, or realistic, Mr. Joestar?_ Suki questioned silently, _Okay, screw it. First order of business, after this journey is over, I am getting my driver's license. I don't care how far I have to go, I'm stopping any future crashes._

"A submarine, huh…" Kakyoin spoke thoughtfully, scanning the interior of the vessel, "This is my first time in one, but it's not as cramped as I would've expected."

"The Beatles said they all lived in a yellow submarine, so wouldn't it have to be big enough for four people to live comfortably?" Suki asked with a tilt of her head.

"Well…" Kakyoin started with a sheepish smile.

"Too literal," Jotaro stated, folding his arms, "Plus, that song is just weird."

"Yeah…" Polnareff agreed, scratching his head, "Made a really weird movie, too."

"They made a _movie_?" The delinquent asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yeah," Joseph nodded, his expression growing perturbed as he presumably reminisced about the movie. Shaking his head, he explained, "Anyway, Kakyoin, this is a vessel that the rich use to explore the sea floor for pleasure. As you see, it even has windows."

At this statement, Polnareff rushed over to the window Mr. Joestar had gestured to, as the old man recoiled with a soft "Whoa." Suki sidestepped out of the way as he nearly slammed into the wall of the vehicle. She chuckled softly at his enthusiasm.

"Oooh, nice! I've always kind of liked this sort of thing. I wish I could've ridden it with a cute girl…"

"Hm, color me surprised," Kakyoin expressed, sitting down in the seat next to Jotaro, "I was certain you would be using this as an opportunity to win over the only 'cute girl' here."

Polnareff turned from the window with an offended expression.

"Just what kind of horndog do you take me f-!" His insulted frown morphed into a knowing grin, as he placed his hands on his hips and teased, "Wait, so you _do_ admit she's cute?"

"Wh-!" The honor student's face heated, as he cast his eyes away, "I believe you are twisting my words around, Polnareff. I was merely repeating what you said."

"Uh-huh. _Sure_ you were."

"Oh, okay, this is what we're doing now," Suki said, her smile humorless, "I'll just leave so I _actually_ won't be in the room."

"No, Suki, wait, I'm sorry," Kakyoin spoke anxiously, reaching out to her.

"Relax, Kakyoin, I wasn't _really_ going to leave," The girl reassured, scratching her cheek. Unbeknownst to her, Polnareff's mischievous smile only widened. Kakyoin's eyes narrowed in response.

"Don't you start, again," The redhead warned.

"I don't know what you're talking about," The Frenchman shrugged.

"I see you haven't changed, Polnareff," Abdul scoffed, "We didn't come here to play."

"Alright, alright," Polnareff dismissed with a small hand wave.

Kakyoin sighed, as Suki sat down beside him and gave a comforting smile. The honor student's features softened in response, as he reached over and patted the girl on the head. Her smile grew catlike as she contentedly closed her eyes. Opening her eyes slightly, she caught Jotaro staring at her, his expression indiscernible. She gazed at him questioningly, as he shifted his gaze to the window across the room.

 _Why was he staring?_ She wondered.

"What's that?" Suki heard Polnareff ask, as he looked down at a small terminal directly next to Abdul.

"It's a sonar," Joseph responded, "It uses reflected sound waves to detect things underwater, a bit like radar."

"Wow…"

"All clear. Nothing is coming toward us," Abdul reported.

"With this, we can detect anyone trying to attack us, from any direction," Mr. Joestar assured.

"Ohh!"

"But, if we were to be attacked in here, we'd have nowhere to run," Jotaro piped up, his arms folded and eyes closed. He opened his eyes as the others turned to him, "We are 60 meters below sea level, after all."

"It'll be okay, though."

Everyone turned their gazes to Suki as she spoke. She seemed initially alarmed by the sudden shift of eyes to her, but quickly recovered as she continued.

"The possibility that we might be attacked _does_ exist. I'm not saying we shouldn't keep our guards up," She smiled, "But, we're all back together, again. We'll take down whatever comes at us, as a team."

The group nodded at this statement, as Suki couldn't help but think of how thankful she was that she came on this journey.

* * *

The cockpit of the submarine, as Suki thought of it, was extremely sterile. White metal walls and floors, with clean red chairs surrounding a table further away from the pilot's seat...Not to mention that all of the appliances in the room just seemed to be so _organized_. Suki briefly imagined robots making their home in this room, for how utterly spotless and chromatic it was.

"Wow… I guess this is to be expected of a pleasure cruiser for the wealthy," Kakyoin marveled, as he scanned the room, "A refrigerator, coffee maker…Not to mention the latest satellite phones."

"Wow! Get me a drink, Kakyoin. I'm parched," Polnareff expressed.

"I'd like one, too," Abdul added.

"All right," Kakyoin acquiesced, as he opened the fridge, glancing inside, "Is cola okay? Does anyone else want a drink?"

"No, thank you!" Suki responded.

"Hey, old man," Jotaro spoke up, "What's the matter? You're just standing there."

Sure enough, Mr. Joestar simply stood in front of the satellite phones that Kakyoin had pointed out. Suki tilted her head as the old man held up a hand.

"Everyone, be quiet for a moment. I'm going to make a phone call," He explained, picking up the green receiver.

"A phone call? To where?" Polnareff asked.

"It must be very important, if you're calling from here," Kakyoin pointed out.

"Yes, it's an important and delicate matter. Everyone, please be quiet," Joseph requested once more, as he brought the receiver to his ear.

A few moments passed in silence, as Mr. Joestar patiently waited for the recipient of his call to pick up. Finally, the person on the other line picked up, as the old man began to speak.

"Hello? Suzie? It's me...R-Right…I'm at a hotel. I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be back any time soon, because of work…Y-Yes. I'm sorry. By the way, Suzie…Have you spoken to Holly?"

Out of the corner of her eye, from her new seat right next to him, Suki saw Jotaro move his head subtly at this question, his eyes shaded by his hat. Joseph continued to chat with the person he called "Suzie," his tone somewhat distant.

"No. There's no need for that. I'm sure she'll recover quickly. You're such a worrywart…"

"This was the important conversation?" Polnareff leaned in and whispered.

"Yes," Abdul answered quietly, coming over to converse with the rest of the group, "Madam Joestar is full of vitality, so he needs to check in now and then to make sure she doesn't visit Miss Holly in Japan, and discover the truth."

 _Oh, so_ Madam _Joestar must be_ …Suki looked up at Jotaro, _Holly's mom. His grandmother, and Joseph's wife._

"Meaning that she…" Kakyoin began.

"Of course, she hasn't been told anything. There's no need to worry her," Abdul reassured.

As per usual, Jotaro's face showed no sign of concern; however, Suki had at least grown better at identifying when he was concerned about something, and there was no doubt in her mind that worry was present in those calculating blue eyes.

 _He might not want to talk about it…_ Suki pondered, _but…_

Out of view of any of the other men, under the table, Suki reached over and took Jotaro's hand, intertwining her fingers with his. The man turned his gaze to the girl, his eyebrows raising. She gave his hand a comforting squeeze, as she let her lips turn up in a small smile.

 _I want him to know that I'll be here, no matter what._

Surprising her, shielded by everyone's view by the hat, Jotaro's eyes softened slightly, as he exhaled quietly.

"…R-Right. Hey, Suzie, could you let me talk to Rosas?..." Suki tuned back in to Joseph's conversation as he seemed to become more relieved after gaining contact with "Rosas," "Where's Suzie?...I see…Actually, right now, I'm calling from the submarine that I spoke of…Yes. So, how is Holly doing? Have you gotten hold of the doctors from the Speedwagon Foundation?...No. There's no need for that. We will end all of this very soon. It's best if she can just go back to her daily routine. Do not let Suzie know anything under any circumstances. I'll contact you again…"

With that final statement, Joseph hung up.

"You have my condolences, Mr. Joestar," Kakyoin expressed.

"But don't worry. We're here with you," Polnareff reassured, "Egypt's right in front of us."

"We must defeat Dio as soon as possible and save Miss Holly," Abdul stated, "That is exactly why I have returned."

"And we _will_ do it, too, Mr. Joestar. Count on it," Suki encouraged with a determined grin.

"…Right. Thank you, everyone."

* * *

Later…Polnareff yawned loudly, rubbing at his eye.

"I'm so tired. Are we there yet?" He whined.

"It's only been thirty minutes, Polnareff," Suki pointed out. Looking over to Joseph, she asked, "And this voyage is supposed to last…how long, again?"

"Six more hours, I believe," Abdul replied from the pilot's seat.

"Thank you!" Suki called back. Remembering the rooms she had explored before settling in the pilot's chamber, she suggested, "Why don't you go to one of the cabins and take a nap?"

"Huh. That sounds pretty good, actually," The silver-haired man yawned again as he stood up. Joseph held up a hand.

"Actually, we need to stay awake. At least for a little while longer."

Across the room, Kakyoin had pulled open a drawer next to the coffee machine.

"One, two, three, four, five, six…Oh, there are exactly six cups," He said, pulling out one of the white mugs in the drawer.

"Hey!" Polnareff called out to the honor student, "Hurry up and make some coffee! I want some now!"

"Make it yourself, then," Kakyoin responded sternly.

"So, why are we depriving ourselves of sleep when we have the perfect chance to do the opposite?" Suki queried.

Despite the small nap she had gotten in directly after the scuffle with Judgment, that did nothing to cure the sleep deprivation she had suffered the night before from fighting Death 13. She knew she didn't want to spend the whole time sleeping, though. With Egypt right in front of them, it wouldn't be long before they would reach Cairo, and, with that, the end of _her_ part of the journey. She wanted to spend as much time as she could with her new friends before they separated.

Joseph looked at her knowingly.

"Because we have a very important person to speak with."

"You mean _that_ guy, right?" Jotaro asked.

"Ah, right, him," Kakyoin nodded.

"Who are we talking about?" Polnareff asked.

"Stole the words right out of my mouth…" Suki muttered, laughing nervously.

"Your little friend. Whit."

"I'm not so sure 'friend' is the right word, Mr. Joestar…" Suki started, before shaking her head and asking, "Wait, but I thought you said you wanted to wait until we got to Egypt to call him! You said you had a friend there who could shed more light on the issue."

"Yeah. I lied."

 _Again. And so casual about it, too,_ Suki thought with pursed lips.

"I was referring to Abdul when I said that. If the information Whit gave us was going to be so important, I thought we should have the whole group back together before we listened to what he had to say."

"Forgive me, but who is this 'Whit' person?" Abdul asked, turning slightly from the controls.

"Some creepy bellhop who's been tailing us," Jotaro stated simply, seemingly accepting of these odd circumstances.

Suki rolled her eyes and proceeded to debrief Abdul on who this man was, what he had shown her, and what he wanted.

"What he wants _does_ have to do with Dio," Suki frowned, "It's difficult to get a straight answer out of him at the worst of times, but he has information that we don't, and that we may very well want. He may be Dio's eye, but he's been helping me. Selectively, but he's been helping me."

"So…We'll finally get to meet this guy, when you open that envelope?" Polnareff asked.

Suki pulled the tiny envelope labeled with Whit's name out of her bag. She nodded. Joseph, Kakyoin, and Polnareff all set themselves down at the table, as Suki fingered the lip of the envelope.

"I'm going to open it. Is everyone ready?"

"Oh, we've been ready, Miss Kanao."

"That's-!"

Whit appeared in the empty seat directly next to Suki, his eerie grin having fallen slightly.

"Whit…" Suki started.

"I see how it is. I ask you not to tell anyone about this, and you go and do it anyway," Whit complained with a huff.

"You didn't ask me, actually. You just said, 'the less people who know, the better.'"

"Did that not function in a similar fashion? I could allow you telling one of the Joestars about this factor, but you had to meander off and explain everything to…"

Whit pointed to Abdul, who stared back at him with a cautious gaze.

"The man who got himself killed…"

The attendant pointed to Kakyoin, as he raised an eyebrow.

"The lost puppy…"

Whit finally pointed to Polnareff.

"…and the town idiot?"

The blond man seemed to take no notice as the Frenchman's face tightened in anger, as he turned back to Suki.

"Do you not realize the magnitude of the situation in which we reside? Secrecy is _paramount_!" He expressed, his grin falling into a distressed grimace.

"Cut the crap, jackass," Jotaro spoke up, glaring at Whit from under the brim of his cap, "Tell us what you know. And you better give us straight answers."

Whit's smile returned as he gazed at the delinquent.

"Ah. An expected response from you, Mr. Kujo, especially given the circumstances."

A moment passed, before Jotaro sighed.

"Good grief."

"I recommend that you approach the table as well, Abdul. If everyone believes this information to be so important, all should listen with all of their ears and minds."

"…Very well, then," Abdul agreed reluctantly, pulling the vessel to a stop and standing. He hesitated before walking over to the table. Whit eyed the fortune teller with mischief glinting in his eye.

"Does my presence unnerve you, Abdul? Your countenance suggests you are on edge, and I do not believe you appeared so before I made myself visible."

"Abdul?" Suki called questioningly, as the fortune teller flicked his eyes to the attendant in a wary manner.

"Who…are you?"

"Who am I?...I am Whit Houston. Do you believe me to be someone else…?"

"I…I've only felt this presence one other time. Only once, but I would never forget this feeling. Your aura is more dilute than his; however…" Abdul made eye contact with Whit as he spoke his next words.

"You feel like Dio."

Not even a nanosecond passed before the rest of the group was on their feet, backing away as far as they could from Whit. Suki and Whit were the only ones who stayed in their seats, as the girl's eyebrows shot up.

 _I thought he felt familiar. Of course, I couldn't forget how it felt, being in that monster's presence,_ Suki thought, _however, that feeling, like Abdul said, was so dilute that I thought I was imagining it._

Whit looked around at the group as his smile kept.

"Do you not see why secrecy was paramount, Suki?

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You want us…you want _me_ to trust you, right?"

"Trusting me _would_ be in your best of interests, yes."

"Then…you need to start explaining," Suki turned fully to Whit as she locked eyes with him, searching fruitlessly in his sharp green eyes, "Why you feel like Dio. Why you've been wanting me to keep this a secret from everyone else. And, most important of all, why _I'm_ the key to preventing calamity."

Whit seemed to hesitate, never losing his trademark smile as he lost himself in thought.

"Would you believe me, I wonder?"

Suki let her eyes drift between each of her friends. Memories flooded back of the people she had met and the events she had experienced. With those thoughts in mind, she spoke two words.

"Try me."

"Very well, then, Miss Kanao; however, before we begin…" Whit shifted his attention to Kakyoin, putting his hands together in anticipation, "I believe you mentioned something about coffee? I would very much appreciate a cup."

The honor student's face tightened as though Whit was torturing a defenseless animal in front of him.

"If you're so thirsty, make your own coffee, then," Kakyoin shot back.

"But I am a guest here, am I not? You are the ones who invited me in. A good host always cares for the needs of the hosted," Whit explained patronizingly.

"I can make the coffee, then," Suki suggested, standing up.

Whit took her hand and gently coaxed her into sitting back down.

"Now, now, Miss Kanao, there is no need for that. It is most major that you hear every word I am about to say in accurate clarity. This would be difficult to do if your mind was preoccupied with performing a task, would it not?"

"Well, there's only six cups, anyway, so you wouldn't be able to have one while everyone else does!" Polnareff pointed out.

"Hm. How unfortunate."

Suki pursed her lips.

"You're not going to explain anything unless you get what you want…Right?"

Whit's eyes gleamed.

"You catch on quickly, Miss Kanao."

The girl sighed.

"Fine, just give him my coffee."

"Suki, are you sure?" Kakyoin asked, his expression concerned.

She flashed a grin.

"No worries! I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty good at staying awake!"

"Well, that seems to work out, then. Wouldn't you say so, Kakyoin?"

Suki was sure she could hear the grinding of Kakyoin's teeth, as he turned and sighed.

"It isn't for you, specifically. I'm feeling generous, so I was planning on making it for the rest of the group, anyways."

The girl frowned as the honor student set to work making the beverages for the group.

 _Noriaki is pretty prideful, I've gathered. It makes sense that he would be upset about this,_ Suki pondered, _but, that's odd. I thought Whit referred to everyone on a more formal basis, since he calls me, "Miss Kanao" and Jotaro, "Mr. Kujo." But, just now, he called Noriaki, "Kakyoin" and, earlier, he called Abdul, "Abdul"… What's with the discarded formality with them?_

"Now, then, I believe you provided a sufficient structure for my explanations, Miss Kanao. First, I will begin with why I am my own person, but I feel like Dio. I see no reason to beat around the bush for the answer to this question. You see…"

Whit's lips pulled back over an unsettling smile.

"In a sense, I _am_ Dio."

…

…

…

"…What…?"

"Y-You're…"

"Dio…"

"Do you believe in cloning technology, Miss Kanao?"

"Uh…"

Whit placed a hand over his chest.

"I have been created as a clone of this man. An imperfect clone, am I, some might even call me… 'defective'; however, I was initially created with the intent of being another Dio."

"With what methods?" Abdul asked, as he darted his eyes between the sonar and the blond man.

"Much as I would like to tell you, that information has been… omitted from my memory banks. My sincerest apologies," Whit spoke without a hint of remorse.

"How are we supposed to believe that you aren't actually Dio…?" Jotaro interrogated.

"Mr. Kujo, surely you remember those spirit photos your grandfather took of him? Even in the darkness, even the dullest of men could see that his upper body was quite built beyond the standards of common human biology," Whit gestured over his body, "As you can see, I feature nowhere near as prominent muscles."

The delinquent's eyes narrowed.

"If you still find it within yourself to disbelieve me…I do not blame you; however, there is a person who has spent extensive _hours_ with the man in question in this very room, who can advocate for my claim," The blond man lilted, as his gaze swung to the girl by his side.

" _Does_ he look like Dio?" Joseph asked the girl, folding his arms.

Everyone's stares fell upon Suki as she shook her head.

"The only similarity I can see are similar facial structures and blond hair. Even then, Dio's hair is much longer, and darker in shade. Dio has orange eyes and, as Whit said, a muscular body structure, on par with the stature you guys have. On the other hand, Whit has green eyes and a much slimmer figure. But, most importantly," Suki explained, tapping the back of her left shoulder, "Because he took Jonathan's body, Dio has a star-shaped birthmark right in this area."

"So, if he doesn't have the mark, then we'll know that he isn't Dio," Mr. Joestar claimed, closing his eyes in thought.

"Is the information provided by myself and Miss Kanao not sufficient for you gentlemen?" Whit probed with a tilted head.

"The photos were dark. We've never met Dio in person, so we can't be sure of his body structure. Dio's appearance could have changed in the time between now and Suki's last meeting with him, too," Jotaro explained.

"I agree. This is the only way to be absolutely sure," Kakyoin piped up.

Whit pursed his lips.

"…Humor me on this thought. I am a _clone_ of Dio. On the outset, I would share his thoughts, his goals, his appearance. Would I not possess that birthmark either way?"

"Absolutely not," Suki denied. She raised a finger as she explained, "Dio is proud of his conquest over Jonathan Joestar, one of the only people he found worthy of his respect. He would never allow anyone else to even _look_ like they had done the same."

"Hm. You know your enemy well, Miss Kanao."

 _Unfortunately, not as well as I thought I did,_ Suki thought.

"Very well, then," Whit acquiesced with a sigh.

The blond man then began to unbutton his flannel shirt. The clean cloth slowly drifted sideways as he pushed the buttons out of the holes. Reaching the last one, he shrugged out of the clothing, revealing a white undershirt underneath.

"Why _do_ you always wear that bellhop outfit…?" Suki asked absentmindedly.

"My, Miss Kanao," Whit teased, removing his bellhop hat and placing it delicately onto the table, "I would've thought _you_ of all people would understand ludicrous fashion choices. You understand that dressing comfortably, no matter what anyone else thinks, is the most fulfilling course of action, even if it means running around like a Mini Caped Crusader, no?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Suki saw Jotaro's eyes narrow. After a moment of thought, she remembered a previous memory.

 _Oh yeah,_ Suki realized, _he_ did _call me that at one point. I know this guy is kind of being an asshole, but there's no reason to get irritated over something so small._

Suki turned back to see Whit reaching for the hem of his undershirt and pulling up. Her eyes widened as the fabric was drawn over less than blemish-free skin.

The skin that was revealed was nowhere near as clear as anyone expected. Riddling his chest, back, sides, and arms were deep red and purple scars, lacing his skin with lines and ridges unnatural for what should've been an untouched human body. As expected, the star shape was absent from the back of his left shoulder. Whit seemed completely unaffected by the stares of his audience as he held his undershirt to his stomach in a casual manner.

"Those…Those scars…" Suki started, but found she couldn't finish.

"Hm. Almost like a creation of Victor Frankenstein, wouldn't you say?" Whit spoke with a smile. As Suki stared at him, with these new scars brought to her attention, the blond man's smile seemed more and more strained to her, as though the muscles of his face forced his lips to turn up in perpetual eerie glee.

"Is this proof enough for you?" The man turned to look at his observers with a sly grin, "Stare too long, and I might get the wrong idea, you know…"

"Just put your shirt back on. You're indecent," Polnareff spat.

"Aren't you going to check if there is concealer?"

"Concealer?" Suki asked, tilting her head.

"It is exactly what it says on the tin: one rubs it into his or her skin, and it hides things one would rather have left unseen. Aren't you going to check, Suki?"

"How…do I check?"

"It could easily be wiped off with a hand and enough pressure."

"Okay, but why me?"

"You are the person sitting closest to me. It would be most convenient if you did so," Whit said with a small sneer, his eyes flicking back to Kakyoin, his back turned, but an undeniable anger emanating from him.

"Uh, okay…" She agreed with an uncertain raise of an eyebrow. She couldn't help but feel the palpable stares of the others as she stood and walked to Whit's back, placing her hand on the back of Whit's left shoulder and applying pressure.

"Just rub the skin."

"Yeah, yeah," She muttered.

Despite the numerous scars and blemishes, Suki found Whit's skin was smooth to the touch, and oddly warm. Warmer than even Abdul was, as though some otherworldly force brewed underneath the surface.

"Well, nothing's coming off…" Suki stated, removing her hand.

"Maybe you didn't rub hard enough…" He muttered.

"I think we're done here," Polnareff interjected, standing from his seat.

"My, I believe I may have struck a nerve with you, sir," Whit suggested, pulling his shirt back over his head as the Frenchman's features tightened.

"Are we to believe that those scars are from…?" Abdul started.

"Believe what you so desire. All I know is that I have had these marks since I first came into this world."

 _I'm betting those scars don't end at his abdomen…_ Suki pondered, retaking her seat, _I…honestly feel kind of bad for him._

"As I asked before, is this proof enough for you?" Whit queried once more, beginning to button up his uniform top.

"Say we _do_ believe you on this cloning business," Polnareff started, "Why would Dio make another one of himself in the first place?"

Whit scoffed.

"Surely, even one such as _you_ can see the benefits to having more of oneself? Of course, there is the idea of having multiple slaves, but even _they_ have agency in some form or another. If those doubles shared one's thoughts and goals, there would be no need to even communicate what one wanted. They would simply act for the benefit of the original, with no questions asked," The blond man turned to the silver-haired man with a glint in his eye, "Certainly, having more of oneself would only bring benefits."

"Then, why didn't it?" Kakyoin asked.

"Pardon?" Whit turned in his seat to the honor student, who now poured the coffee into mugs.

"You defected, didn't you? You're helping _us_ , not him, but for that to be true from the outset, from your creation…You wouldn't make for a very good copy. What change made you turn on your original?"

 _Oh. Shit,_ Suki thought, recalling the reaction she had received when she had asked the question before.

As she expected, Whit's demeanor immediately changed, his smile falling and his eyes narrowing. From where Kakyoin stood, he could not see this dramatic shift in mood; however, the tone of Whit's voice made his current state of mind clear.

"What right do _you_ have to be asking something so personal?"

Unlike before, when Whit had merely been warning Suki not to overstep her bounds, the man's tone was dripping with venom, _threatening_ the honor student to step back immediately.

"What do you mean 'what right'?" Kakyoin asked, setting the pot of coffee down and turning fully towards Whit, "If you're so keen on us trusting you, on _Suki_ trusting you…It's only natural that we would want to know why you're acting in our favor. On any other occasion, I would rather not pry into the personal affairs of others; however, understanding your motive is crucial to trusting you."

The redhead turned his gaze to Suki, as she looked back at him with a concerned stare.

"We've grown to trust Suki because we know her motive. If she had simply said she wanted to join us, with no explanation regarding her motivation, much as I hate to say it, we would all still be suspicious of her. She understood that she needed to trust us with her motive before we trusted her."

His eyes drifted back to Whit, who shook almost unnoticeably.

"You act as though you have calculated every possible outcome, but did it never once cross your mind that the starting point would be telling us _why_ you're doing this?"

That final question caused Whit to bolt from his seat, striding around the chair and over to the honor student and grabbing him by the collar of his school jacket. Any semblance of the mysterious calm he kept before had completely vanished, as his lips pulled back over a ghastly snarl. Despite the difference in height and stature, Whit was easily able to yank the taller Kakyoin down to eye level.

"Naïve, naïve, naïve…What a naïve worm you are…You don't understand the _first_ thing about why I've kept everything confidential! None of you do! I'll have you know that I _have_ calculated outcome after outcome after outcome, and the ones I see where I tell you imbeciles _everything_ end in catastrophe! I absolutely detest admitting this, but I am not the smartest person in the world. There are many I rank above, but the highest rank does not belong to me. Nevertheless, I _am_ intelligent enough to recognize a pattern. Patterns that involve the subsequent deaths of those knowledgeable about the facts. Patterns that only lead to whatever plan was in the works falling apart, with no hope of repair. Do you not understand that there are some fragments of knowledge in this world that will only march you to your death faster?"

Kakyoin had kept calm throughout Whit's rage-induced rant, his eyes showing no fear despite the anger present in Whit's that could burn down buildings.

"I am aware that such knowledge exists. Perhaps if you had asked me in the past, I would have abstained, and let these facts remain unknown," Kakyoin's eyes glinted as he continued determinedly, "I am not the pathetic worm you apparently see me to be. I will not just up and die."

Whit seemed completely taken off guard by this statement. He gritted his teeth and reeled his arm back.

"Listen to me, you _idiot_!"

"Whit, stop!"

A loud _smack_ reverberated through the air.

Kakyoin's eyes widened as he looked from Jotaro, now standing behind Whit, holding the blond man's clenched fist back, to his side. Suki stood by Kakyoin, her hand glowing red, as Whit's head was now turned sideways.

She had slapped him.

As the blond man's grip loosened on the honor student's collar, a hand reaching up to touch the red skin of his cheek, Jotaro ripped him off of Kakyoin, moving himself protectively between the two.

"That's enough, Whit," Suki scolded, "I've tolerated your catty remarks up to this point, but getting physical with my friends is where I draw the line!"

For the first time, Suki saw genuine confusion cross Whit's features, his eyes blank as he attempted to comprehend the situation.

"I don't…understand…"

Suki sighed.

"I can't pretend to understand what happened to make you so distrustful of people, but…" She walked over to the attendant, making a gesture as though she were about to put her hands on his shoulders, but decided against it, letting them fall to her sides, "I know that we'll have a better chance of taking Dio down if we operate on the same agenda."

"Strength in numbers…and yet, from the patterns I see…Being privy to this information only leads to demise," Whit explained.

"Who says we're going to abide by the pattern?" Suki asked.

"The whims of fate say so. Death leads to despair, which, in turn, yields the calamity you are to prevent."

 _Despair leads to the calamity he's been telling me about…?_

"Well, we'll just have to change fate's mind, then," She asserted.

The rest of the group gave her quizzical looks, as Whit looked the most taken aback.

"And how exactly do you propose to do that?"

"Uh, well…" Suki scratched her head, as she cast her eyes about, "I don't know…"

"What do you mean, you 'don't know'?!"

"I mean that I'm going to do my best to keep everyone safe, no matter what fate throws at me! I don't know what fate's gonna do, but I'm gonna fight it!"

Suki tilted her head.

"Don't _you_ want to fight fate? That's…That's why you came to me, right? So we could change fate?"

Whit took a deep breath.

"This is not the first time I have attempted to defeat the original. The first time…I did not fight alone on the first attempt. The lives of all of the allies with whom I worked were snuffed out one by one. I was supposed to lose my own life as well; however, by sheer luck, I managed to sidestep the reaper's scythe. I decided that the group who knew this information would be smaller this time, _much_ smaller, and that would allow for all allies to escape unscathed. That first attempt involved six people, plus myself. The group in which you all operate contains that same number of people. I was…deterred, because I believed fate would repeat itself, and bring calamity, just as sh-I feared."

Silence permeated the air. No one knew how to respond to Whit's plight.

Then, someone spoke up.

"Fate won't repeat itself."

The blond man looked up to the man who had spoken.

Jotaro.

"He's right. We have someone to get home to, after all," Joseph added with a laugh, "What kind of family would we be, if we didn't come back to her safe?"

Whit turned to Abdul.

"You're a fortune teller, are you not? You, of all people, must understand that fate is not so easy to overturn."

Abdul closed his eyes in contemplation.

"There are people in my trade who believe that, yes. There are even those who claim fate is absolute; however," He claimed, opening his eyes and locking them with the green eyes of the bellhop, "I am not so unrealistic as to believe that all predictions are absolute. If one is resolute enough, he or she can turn over the fate that has been laid in his or her hands."

The blond man shook his head.

"Filling yourself with determination will do nothing but send you to hell in a gift basket. You must have _something_ besides resolution."

"True, but we wouldn't have gotten this far on perseverance alone in the first place," Kakyoin explained, "In some form or another, we have faced our weaknesses, and developed our strengths. We are well aware now of what we can do, and how we can use the skills we have to continue fighting on to another day."

"For the longest time, I was willing to die for what I was fighting for," Polnareff started, clenching his fists at his sides. He shook his head and looked up, "Like hell I'm gonna die on this journey. I'm gonna stay alive, no matter what comes my way, and I'll watch everyone's backs until we plow through them all!"

 _Everyone…_ Suki thought, looking between each of her friend's faces, seeing the same fiery resolution in each pair of irises. She smiled.

 _I don't know what I'd do without you guys._

"Are you persuaded yet?" Jotaro asked, mimicking the patronizing tone Whit had used earlier, as far as Suki could tell.

…

…

"…Perhaps…" Whit started, "Perhaps _this_ will yield the change. This is…quite promising."

"What is?" Suki asked.

Whit gave a knowing smile, eerie as usual, but without the condescension normally attributed to it.

"All of your goals and faiths intertwining so closely…The prevention of calamity…It very well may happen _here_ …" He mused quietly.

"Here?" Jotaro probed.

The blond man shook his head.

"Such musings of mine are irrelevant," Whit dismissed, "Very well. I will give you the information you so desire."

With that, the bellhop reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a collection of photos. He allowed the pictures to scatter in a fanning motion onto the table, as he beckoned to the rest of the group.

"Come, come. Do you not wish to be informed?"

Seeing her allies exchange skeptical looks, Suki spoke up after giving the photos a brief once-over.

"These are the photos I asked him to take of the inside of the cavern. They match up with what I saw in there."

"Unfortunately, my camera could not capture the moving images created when a Stand Transplant is brought in contact with the wall. My apologies."

"What is that?" Polnareff asked.

"Well, a _camera_ , my good sir, is-"

"I _know_ what a camera is, you fuckwit! I was asking about the Stand thing you were talking about!" Polnareff ground his teeth.

"Fuck me?" Whit asked with his typical grin and a tilt of his head, "Perhaps if you take me to dinner first, but I must warn you, I am no catcher."

"Go to hell," The silver-haired man muttered, folding his arms and sitting at the table, directly across from Suki.

Whit laughed lightly.

"Ah, but, I cannot go to hell. I have no more vacation days with which to make the trip."

Suki raised an eyebrow as the others sat down at the table and began poring over the pictures, Jotaro taking the seat on Suki's opposite side as Kakyoin set the tray of steaming mugs of coffee on the edge of the table.

"My thanks, Kakyoin," The blond man lilted, taking one of the mugs and sipping from it nonchalantly.

Kakyoin sighed and sat down as the others in the group each took a mug for themselves. Noting the honor student's hands, empty of the beverage, and the one remaining cup on the tray, Suki spoke up.

"Kakyoin, aren't you going to…?"

"You can take mine," He replied with a strained smile.

"What? But, I said I'd be fine! Besides, you made it, it wouldn't make sense if you didn't have some yourself!"

"I recommend you drink at least a bit. Coffee improves the mood and cognitive functions," The honor student explained, the previous tension in his expression fading as he spoke.

Suki narrowed her eyes.

"'Improves cognitive functions'? What are you implying…?"

"Well, how to put this lightly…?" He mused, putting a hand to his chin, "Drowsiness…does not aid your cognitive functions. When you're sleepy, your thoughts tend to skew into nonsensical territory."

"How is _that_ putting it lightly?" Suki asked with a pout.

"How's he supposed to put it lightly when you confused 'genes' with 'germs'?" Jotaro interjected.

"That was _one time_ , Jotaro! Besides, I suck at biology, you know this!"

"You suck at biology, but I'll bet you wouldn't fail a test on the reproductive system."

Suki turned in her seat and placed her hands on her knees, leaning forward and looking up at the man goading her on with fire in her eyes.

"Try. Me."

"Suki?"

The girl looked around Jotaro (a somewhat difficult task) upon hearing her name, making eye contact with Kakyoin. He smiled sheepishly.

"Wouldn't you have a better time with that test if you had a bit of coffee?"

Suki sighed.

 _And back around it goes…_

"Fine," She begrudgingly agreed, picking up the lone mug, "But, this is still yours, so I'm only gonna take a couple of sips."

"Very well, then," The honor student accepted with a small laugh.

Suki stared into the dark liquid swirling gently in the mug from the recent movement.

 _I don't really drink coffee, it's so_ bitter _…_ Suki mused, _and when I do, it's loaded with cream and sugar. Unfortunately, I don't think we have that luxury here. I want to say no, but…_

She briefly flicked her eyes up for a split second. Her eyes caught Kakyoin's expectantly content expression.

 _It…seems like he wants me to like this. Or, that's what he's hoping for, at least… How much effort did he put into making this? I don't know how to make coffee, so_ I _wouldn't know…What's with that expectant look, though? Does he think he'll get to keep making this for me? I mean, that would only happen if…if we got m…mar-_

"Your face is red."

"H-Huh?" Suki turned to Jotaro at his statement. Her face did feel hot all of a sudden, but she refused to acknowledge it.

"Are you alright, Suki? You've done nothing but stare into that mug for the past minute," Abdul asked.

"Yeah, and your face only got brighter as you did," Mr. Joestar added.

"It's fine! It's just hot!" Suki spoke quickly, desperately trying to shift focus from the topic at hand as she took a quick swig from the mug she held.

As the liquid hit her tongue, she was aware of a burning bitter sensation, accented by a hint of saltiness. The bitterness washed over the back of her tongue, rising and fading smoothly like the ebb and flow of a wave. Despite this taste being worthy of poetry, the first words out of the taster's mouth were…less than that.

"Damn, that's some goodass coffee. Holy shit," She marveled with wide eyes.

Meeting Kakyoin's eyes, seeing them blown wide open, she made a defensive gesture.

"Uh, uhm, what I meant to say was that-!"

"I'm so pleased that you like it, Suki," The honor student expressed, his lips curling up and his eyes crinkling, "Please, have as much as you like."

 _St-Stop being so cute, dammit,_ she thought, as her blush refused to fade.

"Th-thanks," Suki responded, a shy grin gracing her lips as she brought the cup to her lips once more.

And then, in a voice only loud enough for her to hear-

"You are certainly wanting for subtlety, are you not, Miss Kanao?"

Suki began to sputter and cough, the drink having gone down the wrong tube as she moved the mug away from her mouth. She raised a hand upon seeing the concerned gazes of her comrades.

"Wrong pipe, sorry," She bit out, as she slid the mug over to the redhead. Clearing her throat, she leaned forward over the table, scanning the pictures Whit had taken.

"These walls…They depict awareness of the existence of Stands," Abdul mused, pointing to the pictures of the people running into battle, ghostly figures by their sides, "And knowledge that people would do battle with them."

"Indeed, they do," Whit nodded, "I know not how old these drawings are, but it is clear that many have been aware of the existence of Stands for quite some time."

"Hmm…" Kakyoin hummed, looking over at one photo in particular.

The picture captured the drawing of the red whirlpool filled with wispy blue embers, with the center that would glow in the presence of Stand Transplants. In the absence of the soft, white glow, the flash of the camera caught the true nature of the painting.

"It's…unnerving…" The honor student thought aloud, narrowing his eyes, "Disturbing, even..."

"The blue fire swirls into the center of a bloodstained lake. And…then what? What happens after the flames reach the center?" Joseph asked, scratching his beard.

"So, you've made it that far in your deductions, then?" Whit queried, his eyes lighting up, "The center of the 'lake' illuminates when a Stand Transplant draws near."

"You never told me what a Stand Transplant was," Polnareff chimed in, folding his arms.

"But, you could just as easily have been referring to the camera. Should I have assumed you know what a camera is?"

"This bastard…" Polnareff clenched his fist.

"Now, Polnareff, don't let his words get under your skin," Abdul soothed, placing a hand on the Frenchman's shoulder, "You're better than that."

"…R-Right."

Out of the corner of her eye, Suki caught the telltale raise of the eyebrows from Whit, as his grin seemed to momentarily shift into a smirk.

 _Okay, I think this guy has a shipping disorder,_ Suki thought.

Before Whit could explain, the blond man flicked his eyes to the side to see Jotaro take the red-whirlpool-picture between his fingers. The delinquent looked to be concentrating intensely on the photo, as Star Platinum phased into existence just over his shoulder. Suki observed this with a small smile.

"Does Star see something?" She asked.

The two nodded. Star Platinum mimed the act of drawing a sketch. The corners of Suki's lips turned up even more as the Stand did so with a blank expression.

"Here, I've got it."

Suki reached into her bag and pulled out her notebook and pencil, turned to a blank page, and handed them to Jotaro. He gave the pencil to his Stand, holding the notebook open as Star Platinum reached over his user's shoulder to hold the photo steady

The girl had, of course, been curious from the beginning: what in the world could have _possibly_ enabled the Joestars to not only narrow down Dio's location to a country, but also to a _city_? Granted, finding Dio in the capital of Egypt would still prove difficult, if he had shifted locations, but the point still stood. What was this point? That Star Platinum had seen a Nile Ue Ue fly, native to the region of Aswan, in the darkness behind Dio, in one of the spirit photos Joseph had taken of him. Suki's mind was still boggled as to how a Stand could have such impressive eyesight, but she chose not to question it.

A silent moment passed, before the sound of graphite furiously scratching over the paper filled the quiet. If Suki's eyes had been closed, she would've thought someone was casting pencil across paper in a frenzy, with no purpose in mind; however, she was privy to the sight of Star Platinum swiftly creating an image, his eyes focused, as his movements were steady and calculated.

All of a sudden, the Stand's hand halted, drawing back from the page as his user's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What…?"

Star Platinum caught his user's attention with a tap on the shoulder, as the Stand pointed between the sketch he had made and each of the blue embers in the red whirlpool. For some reason, as Jotaro understood what his Stand was attempting to communicate to him, his expression darkened. He looked at Star with a gaze that translated to a silent question, as the Stand nodded in response.

"What did Star Platinum see?" Mr. Joestar asked.

As Suki stared up at her friend, she saw his expression was grave. She was well aware of how little expression he showed on a regular basis. The situation must've been dire for him to have made a face like this.

"In each of the blue flames…What Star Platinum saw…" Jotaro explained, as he laid the notebook out on the table for all to see.

"Was this."

No one spoke, whether they were merely confused, or grasped the subtler implications of what Star saw in every ember.

What the Stand had drawn was a human face, the eyes blown wide, stretched downward with no pupils, as the mouth opened and bent at odd angles. Whoever this face had belonged to had experienced true horror in his or her final moments, as the face seemed to leap off the page, the silent echoes of tortured screams ringing in the air, as no one could tear their eyes away from the drawing.

"Did you intend to tell us this, Whit?" Abdul cautiously probed.

"I did. You may find it easier to believe me now, with… photographic evidence, as it were," The attendant replied.

"But, I didn't see _that_ on the cave walls!" Suki claimed.

"Neither did I," Whit explained, making eye contact with the girl, "The analyst who originally conducted studies of the drawings _did_ explain that marks on the wall had been left there previously, painted over as the images were finalized; however, much like the ink, the rough sketches had also been created with intent. Why they were covered, I haven't a clue, but, with this information, now is as fair a time as any to explain the concept of Stand Transplants."

The blond man rested his back against the chair, picking up his coffee mug and taking a long gulp of the beverage. Taking a deep breath as he readied himself to speak, he set down the cup and folded his arms.

"A Stand Transplant is a gemstone that contains a Stand, simply put. Stand Transplant is quite a mouthful, so I shall refer to the concept as ST from this point forward.

"Much as the modern world of medicine makes frequent use of blood and organ transplants, Dio discovered a method through which one can take one person's Stand and give it to another person."

"But, a person dies if their Stand dies…" Suki swallowed thickly, "I'm almost afraid to ask, but what happens to a person if they have their Stand taken away like that?"

"In such a scenario, the Stand can _not_ be returned to the original user. Reversion is impossible. As that segment of the self has been removed with no hope of reclaim, the user dies. Although…"

"Although?"

"The user does _not_ lose their life immediately… Perhaps the possibility _does_ exist that one could survive such an ordeal…?"

Whit shook his head.

"In any event, the Stand is transferred into a gemstone. For the sake of efficiency, and less strain on the human body, the gemstone is typically small, and attached to an accessory, such as an anklet…" He fingered the red gem on his collar, "A collar…" He then pointed to the chain around Suki's neck, directing her to reveal the pendant. She did so, and he finished, "Or a necklace. A limitation does not exist that prevents the gemstone from being attached to the body in other ways."

"Why a gemstone, though?" Kakyoin asked.

"Metaphysical properties, mood alteration, even remedies for spectra of different ailments…Such traits have been attributed to gems and stones for thousands of years," Abdul spoke, as the honor student nodded in response. The fortune teller continued, folding his arms, "We have no idea how long those paintings on the cavern walls have existed…Could this be the reason why _we've_ attributed spiritual powers to them for so long…?"

Whit huffed a small laugh as he shrugged.

"Who really knows? What reigns highest in importance at the moment is that STs are created with the use of gemstones. Those, and…" He closed his eyes, "In all of the trials that I have bared witness to, not one was successful, unless one particular thing was involved. A sacrifice."

Jotaro had sat down quite a while ago; however, his voice still carried the same weight as if he had been standing at the head of the table, his hat pulled low over his eyes.

"Of human souls…" He raised his head ever-so-slightly, allowing his eyes to barely peek out from under the brim, his usual frown pulling even further into an angered grimace as he asked, "Right?"

"Human souls?" Polnareff asked.

"Each of those flames…Carrying the same, horror-stricken face…" Kakyoin pondered as he winced, "I did not wish to believe it, but…"

"It doesn't seem like it's just one, either," Suki piped up, wrapping her arms around herself, " _Multiple_ souls are needed…aren't they?"

"That is correct," Whit answered, "Of course, as everyone is well aware, Dio cares not if he must sacrifice five, five hundred, or five billion lives to achieve his end goal. 'The ends justify the means,' as the saying goes…No…" He shook his head, "Justification means nothing to him. His ends are all that matter."

"Do you…" Joseph started, his expression the darkest any of the group had ever seen, "Do you know what Dio's end goal is?"

Whit bowed his head in thought.

"My memories…are fuzzy. His end goal was a rare topic of conversation, even among the people he supposedly placed the most trust in…Even then, _they_ would always ask _him_ , and _he_ would only have a vague answer."

"You're his clone, aren't you?" Polnareff asked, "Wouldn't you at least remember his goals, if you were supposed to share them?"

"Hm. I am surprised. You make a good point," Whit chuckled, placing a hand on his chin, "Yes, indeed, I _should_ know; however, you all recall the statement I previously made, about how this is not the first attempt I have made to stop Dio?"

"What _did_ happen…?" Suki asked cautiously.

Whit sighed.

"This…will be a long story," He warned, as he looked to Suki, "However, if it is paramount to your trust that you hear it…I will tell it."

She nodded. With that, Whit took a deep breath, and began to speak.

"Originally, I had been more loyal to Dio than any follower one could find. His interests were mine, after all, despite my knowledge of his goal being...incomplete. He called me 'Brando,' and the others followed his lead. I had no question, no quarrel for him. I rarely ever conversed with his other followers. I simply performed my duties as a mindless slave would. My errands were quite easy; however, they enabled me to learn more about the world, what and who I could procure to meet my own ends. Such times were…free of complexities…"

Emptiness plagued Whit's voice as he spoke, as though what he said meant nothing to him.

"Then, after a certain period of time, though this might sound cliché…I met someone."

The blond man let his eyes slip shut, like he was allowing himself to float into a blissful dream.

"Lyn Aizumi…She created tunnels for Dio, allowing him to embark on trips in the daytime. That was her occupation. She was the reason I and Dio discovered the idea of Stand Transplants…And the reason I rebelled in the first place.

"Conversations were simple, at first. I would merely accompany her as she created tunnels for Dio, as he would likely have something or someone more important to do. Even though I already embarked on errands into the outside world for my original, I was only ever able to spare passing glances to the environments in which I found myself. Needless to say, Miss Aizumi filled me on what I was supposedly 'missing' in the world.

"Every day, when we were alone, she would ask me, 'How do you feel about Lord Dio?' At first, I thought she delighted in chitchatting so easily as we traversed through the dark halls. I always answered, 'He is my lord. My one and only original. I would be nothing without him.' Such an answer always came readily to my lips. Miss Aizumi would always nod with a smile, a clear sign that she agreed with my faith. But, as time wore on… The words I always spoke eluded my grasp more and more, until, eventually, she asked that same question, and, after a pause, I asked, 'Should I feel something about him?' to which she responded, 'You should. You should hate him.'

"The woman was sly. She had already gathered a group of Stand users to combat Dio. She told me she wanted to break Dio's control over me, so I could live my own life. Life as my own person. Not as 'Brando,' but as me. By her side.

"She was conniving. I would be lying through my teeth if I stated that she had not enamored me at that point. Perhaps it was the fact that everything Dio had taught me about the world, how I could easily take what I wanted in the palm of my hand, was slowly crumbling away, as Miss Aizumi taught me that that was not the case…Perhaps I was weak, in that moment, when I agreed to destroy my original, and become my own person. In any event, she had fully ensnared me in her web before I could even think of escape."

"You…" Suki started, "You make it sound like she used you…"

Whit chuckled.

"Ah, that, Miss Kanao, is because that is _exactly_ what happened. I, of course had my own Stand. Dio always kept his own Stand a secret from even those closest to him; however, as I was made in his image, I was given a powerful Stand. It would prove useful for a small rebel battalion. Why wouldn't she have treated me kindly? Why wouldn't she have seduced me over to her side?

"Miss Aizumi was sly, but Dio is even more clever. He waited calmly for the moment we had all planned to strike. He downed us without even batting an eyelash. He knew. He knew everything. After that…"

Whit held his head in one hand as he spoke.

"Every one of them was brutally stripped of their lives. Eventually, it was my turn to be put under the knife. They wished to attempt Stand Transplant surgery on me. They had presumed they had failed; and yet, that day, death did not take me. I woke up in the middle of the desert, face-down, with several of my memories lifted from my mind. My thoughts were hazy, but, in that fog, I heard a voice. It told me Dio thought me dead, and that I should move onward, in order to prevent calamity. The voice…emanated from my collar."

 _I think…I have a feeling I know whose Stand is in that collar…_ Suki thought.

"Why did you say you were Dio's eye, then?" Abdul asked.

"It would have expended far too much time to explain the situation in its entirety. Only saying the cliché 'It is a long story,' would only have aroused more suspicion; however, most importantly…"

His green eyes glinted as his eerie smile returned.

"Such a story is quite personal, do you not agree?"

"If you were considered dead, how did you convince the old lady to let you work alongside her?" Polnareff interrogated.

"Ah, well, outwitting someone of her intellectual caliber was quite a simple task, indeed. Even simpler than outwitting someone such as you, _mon non-ami_."

"Whit, could you maybe turn the verbal jabs down a notch?" Suki requested.

 _I know he isn't the smartest person in the world, but you don't have to be so repetitively rude about it,_ she thought.

The blond man sighed.

"Very well, then. Returning to the previous question, I merely created a façade. I _was_ still alive; however, I recalled nothing of my rebellion against my lord, nor did I have memories of the penalty I received for such injustice. I knew such a fabrication to be shaky myself. Enyaba was a human, so of course she posed _some_ questions to me; however, whether due to a disability of age or natural stupidity, she was convinced before the day was done that I was on her side," He chuckled, "Pathetic, wouldn't you say? Laughably so."

No one responded. Whit tilted his head at the silence.

"Truly, I comprehend your sympathy as humans, but that can only extend so far. She _did_ intend to kill all of you, after all. Not to mention the mother of a man such as J. Geil, viewing her own flesh and blood as innocent and pure despite his committed atrocities, could by no means be a moral figure."

Despite the distaste Whit displayed in showing sympathy for such a person, he listed off the reasoning for dispelling the considerate behavior as though he was rattling off lab test results, utterly distanced from any issues anyone could have with the woman.

 _She was by no means a good person…_ Suki thought, _but was that solely her own nature? Or did Dio's hypnotism have an influence on turning her…? Even still…_ She winced as she recalled the horrific death of the old witch, _I wouldn't wish an experience like that on anyone. I have to wonder, though…How big of an influence does Dio's charisma and intellect hold over the people he allies with? Maybe I'm too optimistic for my own good, but…Part of me wants to think that maybe…_ Just _maybe, some of the people he hypnotized weren't bad from the start…_

Scanning the faces of her allies, Suki was somewhat surprised to see them all wearing expressions of some level of contemplation about the issue. Abdul crossed his arms and closed his eyes, while Polnareff leaned forward on an elbow and stared up at the ceiling. Joseph scratched his head and sighed, as Kakyoin took a sip from his coffee mug with narrowed eyes. Jotaro fiddled with the brim of his cap, staring at the small motions of his hand.

 _I guess…I'm not the only one worrying about this…_

Refusing to let the others be bogged down by the conundrum, Suki asked Whit another question.

"I want to know more about Stand Transplants. You mentioned something about surgery, right? How does that work?"

Whit's face scrunched up in thought, his mouth looking unhinged for a moment before he spoke.

"Even I am not aware as to the specifics. All I _do_ know is that the Stand functions by linking to the brain stem of the human body. A surgery is…quite calculated. One misstep, one mistake, and consequences _will_ occur. I have seen several types. Bodies rejecting the Stand, even separating the Stand from the object, enabling the Stand to go berserk with no user. The body intended to use the Stand going comatose, dying, or simply being unable to make proper use of the Stand. This is because some STs contain Stands so powerful that, if attached directly to the brain stem, they could destroy or take control of the host. Hence why not all STs are collars: some are anklets or bracelets. In addition, not all STs manifest in the same way. Some vary from body to body."

"Are you…saying that, depending on the new host's abilities, the abilities of the STs may differ between users?" Kakyoin asked.

"Precisely. For example," Whit made eye contact with Suki as he continued, "A little friend of yours…Minaj, was it?"

Suki's eyes widened, as she replayed the battle she had gone through with her previously hypnotized friend.

 _She…She had a Stand Transplant? Then, that means…_ Suki clenched her fists in her lap, _that bastard surgically_ forced _that Stand on her, and she could have_ died _any time…!_

"She carried no Stand before the surgery. As such, the abilities of the Stand she used were toned down from the true capabilities of it. I had seen the original user of the Stand in action before. Minaj's use of the Stand was quite immature in comparison."

"Wait, you're saying Stand Transplants can even be given to people who _don't_ have Stands in the first place?" Joseph asked.

Whit nodded.

"Indeed. There are…risks and rewards involved, when choosing between whether to give an ST to a user or non-user. A non-user will, no surprise, be less experienced with bringing out the full potential of a Stand, and, as such, will have a more difficult experience bringing forth its true potential; however, the risks with giving an ST to a user are nonexistent when giving it to a nonuser. On the other hand, a user will reap _far_ greater rewards from using an ST, able to bring out the full potential of an ST as though he or she were the original user of the Stand…At a greater cost."

"Don't leave us hanging like that! What's the greater cost?" Polnareff asked.

The blond man sighed in exasperation.

"If one could be _patient_ …" He cleared his throat, "Using a Stand on its own requires a large pool of mental strength and strength of will. These risks do not reveal themselves immediately, rather, they take place slowly, over a period of time; however, the stress put on the human body through use of even one ST is tremendous. I have even seen people use more than one ST at a time. The dangerous effects take place at an even faster rate, then."

Whit leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes and folding his arms as he continued.

"Rapid aging, mental disfunction, disease, death…"

Sharp green eyes opened as his expression turned grave.

"Even putting a Stand into a perpetual dormant state, with no hope of awakening."

"Is Dio still doing this?" Jotaro queried, his eyes narrowing.

"Of that, I am unsure…" Whit explained, "Even with my uncertainty, I do know that this is simply a step in the process leading to Dio's ultimate goal. He cares not how many bodies he leaves behind, but such a process is inefficient, _wasteful_ , even. The creation or trade of powerful Stands in people _must_ have a more efficient, less time-consuming catalyst, and I know my original well enough to know that he will stop at nothing to discover this method."

Whit locked eyes with Mr. Joestar.

"You asked what Dio's end goal was, did you not?"

The old man nodded.

"Only once…Without my knowledge, Lyn got the chance to lay her hands on Dio's diary only once…The only record he kept of his plans for the future…" He shook his head, "For how intelligent she was, she became bogged down by details far too often for her own good. Before we launched our attack, she spoke to me. The contents of the journal, as she remembered them, made little sense; too many separated points not conjoining into a common central goal, as she saw it; however, the final phrase that he wrote stood out to her so much. Her reaction to the phrase is still lucid: her glimmering eyes and the anxious drops of sweat forming on her skin.

"The phrase is as follows: 'That's when Heaven will come."

…

"It would seem the ultimate goal he holds is reaching this 'Heaven' of which he speaks. What this is, why it will come, when, where, who, and how…All questions are an enigma, hopefully still resting in that diary's pages."

"So, this _calamity_ you've been talking about…Is the so-called coming of 'Heaven'?" Suki asked.

Whit nodded.

"Whit, how on God's green earth am I supposed to stop something like _that_?" She cast her eyes away as she spoke, "I don't care how much faith I or you have in myself; I'm just one person! I'll do what I can, but I can only do so much!"

Whit shook his head.

"The answers will come in due time, Miss Kanao. Of that, I can assure you."

"Whit…You don't sound sure of this, yourself."

The attendant met Suki's questioning gaze with a sure look in his green eyes.

"I do not have all of the answers at this time. But, calamity _will_ be avoided if you can defeat Dio."

His eerie smile returned.

"Speaking of whom… Abdul," He addressed, turning to the fortune teller, "My reason for you ceasing the movement of this vessel went beyond simply having you listen to my explanations. Tell me something, how many Tarot cards are left in the major arcana deck, that you and the group have left to engage in combat?"

"Going off of what Mr. Joestar and the others have explained to me…" Abdul thought aloud, placing a hand on his chin, "The only major arcana that we have had yet to encounter are The Fool, the High Priestess, the World, and Death," At the word "death," Kakyoin and Suki darted their eyes to each other for less than a second before returning their attention to Abdul, "Dare I ask where you are going with this, Mr. Whit?"

"I may no longer be Dio's eye, but I am still aware of the actions of his followers," The bellhop raised a finger to punctuate his point, "High Priestess waits on the coast of Egyptian soil, waiting patiently for you to come to her."

"Midler…" Suki pursed her lips as she remembered the wielder of the Stand.

"I am aware that the trust you have in me may be flimsy; however, I would like to pose an idea," The blond man said, as he stood from his chair, "I will ensure your trust, by journeying out and dealing with the threat myself."

"How do you propose to do that?" Kakyoin asked.

"I had an inkling that I would be on the receiving end of such a question," He started, reaching into his pockets. First, he pulled out a small microphone and an earpiece.

"This technology should be simple for you all to understand. With this, you can communicate with me directly, and I can hear you through the earpiece."

"How will that help us know what you're doing?" Polnareff asked.

"Patience, sir, patience. This was only the first half of my supplies for this journey," Whit explained, reaching into his pockets once more. Pulling his hands out, he opened them to reveal two strange objects. In his right hand was a small gray ball containing what looked to be the lens of a camera, attached to a strap that looked large enough to wrap comfortably around his own shoulder. His left hand held what Suki could only think looked like a _tiny_ television screen, about the size of a cassette tape.

"Please, hold this, Mr. Joestar," The blond man directed, gesturing for him to take the screen.

"Uh, okay…" The old man agreed, examining the small, black, glass-covered object with curiosity, as Abdul looked over at what his friend held, "What am I supposed to-"

As Whit pressed a small button on the back of the ball, the screen immediately lit up. Joseph's eyes widened at what he saw. Curious, the others gathered around to see an image of Joseph looking down at the small object, displayed for all to see like a video recording. As the old man looked up at the ball, so too did his recorded image look up, carrying the same confused expression. With his usual grin, Whit turned the lens in the ball towards himself, as the room spun on the screen, settling on a much closer view of Whit's face.

"As you can see, I have a method of recording my excursion to the shore. Distance is negligible between these two objects, so I find myself able to make it to Midler, coerce her, and make it back without you all even needing to shift your course."

"Oh my God…" Mr. Joestar marveled, "I didn't think they made TVs and cameras this small…!"

"Ah ha ha, that, Mr. Joestar, is because 'they' do not. I managed to establish a connection with a person one might refer to as a… 'shut-in,' I believe is the proper terminology. She rarely ever goes out, and even finds herself afraid of people, on a regular basis; however, her skills with manipulating technology are beyond those of our time. Whether or not this is the result of a presence of a Stand, I do not have certainty, but the fact is that she found it in her heart to allow me to borrow some of her creations, these just being two of those.

"How someone _her_ age manages to do it, I will never comprehend…" Whit muttered under his breath. Turning the camera off, making the screen go dark as he did so, the attendant placed it back in his pocket, as he continued, "Now, I will need to make use of some scuba gear, if you would be so kind."

"Uh, how did you get on the sub without scuba gear?" Polnareff asked.

"I am flattered you think me able to catch up with a moving submarine once it gains momentum," Whit chuckled as Polnareff sighed and scratched the back of his neck, "I merely snuck on before you disembarked. That is all."

"Can't you just warp to the surface?" Jotaro queried.

"Such a feat _would_ be amazing, no? Unfortunately, I find myself incapable of such. Air is much less resistant to teleportation than water, especially when so far under the surface. On that note, might I make use of your scuba gear?" He repeated.

Joseph sighed.

"Alright, fine. Follow me."

"Thank you quite kindly."

With that, the whole group stood and began to walk down the hall, following the old man's lead.

* * *

 _Huh. Even the room containing the exit is luxurious, in some sense of the word…_ Suki pondered.

The six men and one girl found themselves in a tall, cylindrical room that could easily accommodate everyone, with several letters and odd signs across the wall, small glass windows bordering the top of the room, with a single ladder leading up to a hatch in the ceiling. A large pipe with a red valve on the surface extended down from the ceiling. As Suki was told later, this was for the purpose of letting the water in, if the occupants chose to leave the submarine mid-journey.

"Abdul, I believe you mentioned that you bought this submarine?" Whit probed, "Did it come into your possession in this state, with no alterations?"

"It did. Is there a problem?"

"I was only curious as to why there were so many…odd choices of decoration in this room," he mused, glancing at the multiple signs decorating the room.

Whit looked over as Mr. Joestar brought him a blue vest with two oxygen tanks strapped to the back and a scuba mask.

"Ah, my thanks," The blond man smiled, taking the equipment.

"Now, you have dove before, right?" Joseph asked.

Whit appeared to stop short. Realizing he had ceased moving in shock, he quickly regained his composure with a dismissive chuckle.

"Mr. Joestar, do you take me for a fool? Of course, someone such as myself would know such crucial information. Have we not all dived beneath the waves before?"

"Not me," Polnareff denied.

"No," Jotaro said.

"I haven't," Kakyoin chimed in.

"Not with all the gear," Suki added with a shrug.

"Ah, I see," Whit folded his arms and tilted his head as he spoke, "Then, would it not be wise to enlighten the youths as to the proper method of diving? Such information could prove useful in a pinch."

 _You keep telling yourself that,_ Suki thought with a sigh, _jeez, you're not a bad guy, but how stubborn do you have to be to refuse to admit when you honestly don't know something?_

"Well, first and foremost is this: above all, never panic. That's the most important thing in scuba diving," Joseph started, as Whit worked on donning the scuba gear, "When you're underwater, for every ten meters you go below the surface, the pressure increases by one atmosphere. At the surface, there's one atmosphere of pressure. We're forty meters below the surface right now, so you'll endure five atmospheres of pressure. If you try to surface immediately, your lungs and blood vessels will burst. You have to go up slowly so that your body can adjust."

Whit had made a valiant effort to put on the equipment without a hitch; however, his other arm could not seem to find the other armhole in the vest. He attempted to make it look like he had paused during Mr. Joestar's explanation, while his other hand sneakily grasped at the side of the vest. Seeing this, the old man rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Here, let me."

With minimal effort, he assisted Whit in finding the other armhole, as the blond man adjusted the vest on his torso.

"You have my thanks. The equipment must have been malfunctioning slightly, but it seems as though you have fixed it."

Abdul stifled a laugh, as Polnareff and Suki smirked at each other. Kakyoin hid a smile behind his hand, and even the corner of Jotaro's mouth twitched up slightly, as though he found some amusement in the bellhop's endeavor. Everyone avoided Whit's gaze as he glared towards them, narrowing his eyes.

"This is a regulator," Joseph instructed, as he pointed at the black circular piece, connected to the oxygen tank by a thin tube, "There's a valve inside that only lets in air from the tank when you breathe in. When you exhale, your breath comes out the left side."

"What about your spit?" Polnareff spoke up, "What happens if spit of phlegm comes out when you're underwater?"

"Did they not account for this with the design?" Whit asked with a raised eyebrow.

Polnareff only smirked.

 _Well, at least someone's got some leverage over him now,_ Suki thought, hiding a smile with her hand, _good for you, Polnareff._

"That stuff just comes out here," Mr. Joestar pointed to the left side of the regulator as he spoke, "By the way, this should be obvious, but you can't talk underwater. Use hand signals instead."

"Then, I will be able to complete the connection of communication between you all and myself. An excellent idea, Mr. Joestar."

The old man grinned.

 _Where's the love for…literally everyone else?_ Suki wondered.

Joseph held up two fingers.

"Let's keep things simple and use two."

Whit nodded, as Joseph brought the tip of his thumb and forefinger together, forming a circle. Suki, and, she presumed, everyone else knew this to mean "okay" or "good."

"When everything is fine, use this to say 'okay.'"

The old man then flattened his hand and pushed his middle finger and ring finger down, keeping his index finger and pinky at the same level, as he rotated his hand from side to side.

"When things aren't good, use this."

Suki looked from Joseph's hand up to his face, back down to his hand. Imitating the gesture, she posed the question on her mind.

"What the shit does 'this' mean?"

Mr. Joestar looked at her confusedly.

"What do you mean 'what does this mean'?" He asked, performing the gesture again, "You should know what it means."

"Really? Should I?" She shot back, examining the gesture closely as she desperately tried to make connections in her mind, "Does it mean 'hang loose'?"

"No, Suki," Abdul spoke up. He then proceeded to extend his thumb and pinky, curling his other three fingers in as he rotated his hand back and forth, " _This_ means 'hang loose.'"

"Then what does _this_ mean?!" Suki asked, performing Joseph's gesture once more.

"Come on, it should be obvious!" The old man stated.

"Old man, no one else knows what you're talking about," Jotaro stated, "Are you just being weird again?"

"Hm," Kakyoin hummed, putting a hand to his chin. He flattened his hand and rotated it back and forth, "Could he be trying to do this?"

"Okay, that I _do_ know!" Suki claimed, "That means 'so-so.'"

"That's what I was doing!" Joseph expressed.

"No way, old man."

"Does such miscommunication occur every day amongst you people?" Whit asked.

"I…would hesitate to call it 'miscommunication,'" Abdul said.

"Either way," Joseph brought everyone's attention back to the matter at hand, "Those two gestures should be enough to get you there and back with little issue."

"Only two?" Polnareff whined, "Aww, but I know a hand signal message, too."

The Frenchman then proceeded to clap, hold up two fingers, make an 'okay' sign, and then end by shading his eyes with his hands, as though trying to see to a faraway point.

 _Wait, what?_ Suki thought.

"'Your underwear is showing,'" Kakyoin guessed.

 _Wait,_ what.

"Yeah!"

Suki then bore witness to what she would call the most peculiar sight she had seen on the journey thus far. Polnareff brought his hands down, low-fiving Kakyoin's outstretched hands, and the honor student reciprocated the gesture. The two then held left hands in a handshake as they bumped right forearms twice, pounded the sides of their fists, then ended their ritual by bringing their forearms together.

 _Oh my God, they actually_ do _get along!_ Suki couldn't help from grinning from ear-to-ear at this secret handshake she had just witnessed, _I'll admit, I'm a mite jealous that they've got a secret handshake, but, what can you do?_

Realizing something, the girl caught her fist in her hand and turned to Whit.

"Hey, Whit, if you ever go diving again, try this one! Watch and learn."

She then proceeded to ball one hand into a fist, bringing her other open hand to the side twice, with force. After, she spread her arms wide, then put a hand in front of her face, her thumb pointing at her nose. She turned and pointed behind her with her thumb, before ending by pointing at Whit.

…

"Fucking big shark behind you," Jotaro answered.

"Hah, yeah!"

Suki crouched and launched herself at Jotaro. Once more, he sidestepped swiftly out of the way; however, Suki kicked off against the wall, ricocheting back and latching onto his back.

"Gotcha!"

"What the- Get off me, dammit!" He tried in vain to reach behind him and pry her off his back.

"Physical contact!" She laughed, hearing the others join in, "No getting away now, I'm gonna stick to you like glue!"

"Is that right?" Jotaro asked, his struggling stopping, "I'm telling you now, I sleep on my back. If you end up crushed, that's your own fault."

Reluctantly, Suki let go and dropped to the ground, walking around her friend's side with a smirk.

"Whatever, Professor Funslayer. I wasn't _actually_ going to stick to you forever, I'd get tired."

"What happened to 'Grumpy Gills'?" He asked blandly.

"Aw, you and I both know people can have more than one nickname," She flashed a grin and a wink as she continued, "Isn't that right, Sherlock?"

Jotaro sighed and pulled his hat down.

"Good grief. Whatever you say, kid."

 _Aww, I'm getting all nostalgic,_ Suki thought, her smile growing genuine.

Upon hearing Whit clear his throat, the two turned their attention back to him.

"Now then, please, wait until I say before you begin to move the vessel again. Otherwise, Midler's long-range Stand may reach you, before I reach her."

"Fair enough. We'll wait for your call," Abdul agreed. The blond man nodded, before asking a question of the whole group.

"Could one of you perhaps assist me? I can teleport through the hatch, but I need to get close to it."

"Can't you just climb the ladder?" Kakyoin asked.

"Well, I would; however, if I touch something while I am teleporting, I take that object with me," He explained, adjusting his bellhop hat and turning to Kakyoin, "I would rather not escort such a heavy bit of equipment, if I can avoid it. Would it be possible for you to help? I've seen you raise and lower people before, surely this would be no problem."

"It won't teleport Stands, right?" Jotaro asked.

Whit nodded.

"That is correct, Mr. Kujo."

Kakyoin sighed.

"Very well, then," He then summoned Hierophant Green, wrapping his tentacles around Whit's waist.

"Please, do be gentle. I must admit that bondage is not something I typically associate myself with."

"Oh, hush now," The redhead asserted with a roll of his eyes.

"I jest, I jest, Kakyoin," Whit spoke with a chuckle, as he finally placed the regulator in his mouth.

Hierophant Green slowly raised the blond man to the hatch, as the attendant strapped the ball-camera to his shoulder and placed the headphone in his ear. Turning back to the group, he made an "okay" sign, before phasing out of existence. Everyone stared up at the hatch for a few seconds, before Joseph pulled the microphone and screen out of his pocket. The others crowded around the old man, as the screen lit up with a view of the roof of the submarine, blanketed by the cool dark blues of the seafloor, before being turned slightly to face Whit. Mr. Joestar held down a button on the microphone before speaking into the device.

"Whit, do you read? Remember what I told you about going up slowly, alright?" Joseph asked.

Whit made another "okay" sign before turning to the deep, watery expanse and beginning to swim.

"And now, we wait," Joseph stated with a sigh.

Needless to say, the others were surprised, as they exchanged glances that were more confused than concerned.

 _Whit's graciously given us this free time,_ Suki thought with a small smile, _so we'd better put it to good use._

* * *

Chapter Fifteen – Walk Like an Egyptian – Part 1

-END—

-TO BE CONTINUED-

* * *

 **I can't be the only one who found Joseph's gesture in the anime to be nonsensical, right? I had to have people clarify to me what the hell he was doing!**

 **Technically, I did get the fifteenth chapter out before Halloween, like I promised!...The first part, at least. If college finally calms the hell down, I should be able to get the second part out next week or the week after, but I'm not holding my breath. My big goal is to get to the hiatus point I had outlined before New Year's, since I don't know when college is gonna come after me again, it's already trying to sap away my free time, but it won't get every last minute!**

 **By the way, for those of you who have been sticking with this story so far, I really have to thank you. Your support means the world to me, even if what I'm writing is pure shipping trash (I know a reader personally who drew the line at OC-OT3, and I don't blame him in the slightest). I appreciate your patience, too, and I've been doing my best to make sure I don't keep you all waiting for too long! Much love to all of you beautiful people, and I will see you next time for Part II of this chapter!**

 **-BlueBow**


	17. Chapter 15 - Walk Like an Egyptian Pt 2

Chapter Fifteen – Walk Like an Egyptian – Part 2

 **WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by a line and another warning. You have been warned.**

 **WARNING**

 **Sorry to keep you guys waiting! Sexual content abounds around the midpoint, just giving you all a fair warning. With that, on with the chapter!**

* * *

"Hmm, what to do for the time being…?" Suki asked, leaning back in the chair.

After Whit had departed, the rest of the group ended up separating. Kakyoin and Jotaro split off to have what Suki believed to be a private conversation, while she, Joseph, Abdul, and Polnareff sat around the table in the control room. Mr. Joestar kept a close eye on the screen in front of him, asking every once in a while for Whit to update his status. The blond man would always sign "okay" to the camera in response.

"I must admit, I have been experiencing an itch to stretch my fortune-telling muscles," Abdul said with a smirk, "Perhaps I could perform a Tarot card reading for one of you?"

"Ooh, me, me! Read my fortune, Abdul!" Polnareff requested excitedly.

The fortune teller chuckled.

"Very well, Polnareff," He agreed, pulling a cloth bag with a drawstring out of his robes. Opening the bag, he pulled out a silk scarf, which he opened to reveal a small, clear box containing his Tarot deck.

 _Ah, right,_ Suki recalled, _you have to have a way to protect the Tarot cards from physical damage and negative energy. I remember my mom telling me that at one point. That reminds me…!_

"Mr. Joestar?" Suki spoke, as the old man looked up from the screen, "Would it be alright if I used the phone here?"

"Go ahead."

"Thank you."

 _...I shouldn't put this off any longer,_ Suki thought, _I'm scared, but…I need to make sure she's okay…!_

"Polnareff, you shuffle the cards," Abdul instructed, as Suki stood from her chair, "The cards need to pick up on your energy, to perform an accurate reading."

"Okay…"

"Silently ask a simple, but important question that you hope to have answered by this reading."

Polnareff paused in his shuffling.

"'Silently,' as in I _don't_ tell you?"

"You do not tell me," He answered, folding his arms, "Not until the reading has been completed."

The Frenchman seemed to concentrate more on his shuffling at this point, his blue eyes focused on the moving cards. Suki turned to the phone and, with a deep breath, picked up the receiver and dialed her home phone number. She silently listened to the sound of the call reaching her land line.

 _Please, pick up._ Please _pick up…_

"Do you want us to be quiet, or…?" Joseph asked, casting his eyes up from the screen to the girl.

Turning back to the group, she smiled lightly.

"It's okay, she knows I'm with other people."

Shifting her attention back to the phone, Suki continued her inward plea for someone to pick up. Suddenly, she heard a voice, but not the one she wanted to hear.

"The number you have dialed is not available. Please leave a message."

"No luck?" Polnareff asked absentmindedly, as he handed the cards back to Abdul. The fortune teller seemed concerned, as his eyes darted to Suki for a split second before refocusing on laying out the tarot cards.

"I'll try again."

She dialed the number once more, and held her breath.

And waited.

And waited.

Until, she heard the sound of someone picking up.

"Hello? Who is this?"

The voice was so familiar. She'd heard it almost every day for eighteen years. She could never forget one of the first voices she'd heard, accompanied by blinding light and the sound of her own wails.

"Hello?"

Realizing that she had been struck silent by the other voice, the one word that crawled from Suki's throat was broken and weak, and yet disbelievingly happy.

"Mama…"

"Suki? Suki, is that you?"

Wiping at her now wet cheeks, the girl spoke quietly.

"It's me, Mama. You're…You're okay…"

After hearing confirmation as to the caller's identity, the voice Suki listened to so intently became warm and inviting, as though she had never left home.

"Aw, honey... You know you don't have to worry about me."

"I-I know, but Dio…"

"Well, he hasn't gotten me yet, has he?"

"Don't say stuff like that! I'll just get more worried!"

"I'll be alright, really. I've been alright."

"You're sure?"

"I should be more worried about, you, Suki. Let a mother do her worrying, won't you?"

Suki laughed weakly.

"Okay, Mama."

"Hm, the Temperance card…In this position…" Abdul mused, "You feel the need to act, and yet… you find yourself unable."

"Uh…huh," Polnareff humored, staring intently at the cards.

Hearing silence on the other end of the phone, Suki raised an eyebrow and looked at the receiver in her hand.

"You still there?"

A chuckle was heard on the other line.

"Are those your new friends, Suki?"

She smiled.

"Mmhmm."

"Those are...One of them is a Joestar, right?"

"Uhm, actually, no. There's six of us, altogether, and one of the Joestars is somewhere else on the submarine with one of the others, and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, okay. Slow down, honey."

"Oh, uh, sorry, Mama," Suki tittered, scratching the back of her neck.

"The Tower…It's blocked, meaning there is something to be kept in the dark; however, you would like for this to come to light. Something is keeping the words from coming out."

"Well, where should I start?" Suki asked.

"I want to know why you're on a submarine, young lady."

"Mr. Joestar bought it. We're crossing the Red Sea, headed straight for the coast of Egypt!"

"A submarine has cell service? And you're underwater right now, aren't you?"

"I _know_ , right?"

"Actually, you _do_ sound like you're underwater. Why are you taking a sub, though? Not a plane?"

"We…don't have good luck with planes…"

Silence. Then…

"Suki. Do not tell me you nearly died in a plane crash on this journey you've been on."

"I…won't tell you that, then."

A long, heavy sigh came from the other side.

"I don't ask for much, Suki."

"I know, Mama."

"I want you to come home _safe_."

"I know. I promised, didn't I?"

"You did. I'm gonna hold you to that, understand?"

"Yes, Mama."

"The Star appearing here… Values are being questioned, as are goals. Subconsciously, but questions are still being asked. Give yourself time to think about these things."

Polnareff nodded with a contemplative expression.

"So, you're traveling with five other people, huh?"

"Yep, five other men."

"Five other…?"

"Oh."

 _Shit. She did_ not _need to hear that._

"It's okay, I swear! They're all really nice, and they've been watching my back just like I've been watching their backs! It's nothing sketchy, I promise!"

Ms. Kanao sighed again.

"I've heard about the Joestars being good people, and I know you can take care of yourself, but what about these three other men?"

"Well, let's see…" Suki tapped her chin, wondering where to start. With a snap of her fingers, she came to a decision.

"One of them is a French person who isn't an asshole."

…

"I don't believe you."

The girl snickered.

"Believe what you want, but I'm telling the truth," Suki looked over her shoulder at the group of men seated around the table, seeing Abdul turn over the fourth card in the Celtic card spread he had laid out. From where she stood, she couldn't quite make out the image, but, thankfully, Abdul enlightened her as to the identity of the card.

"The Devil, hm?" Abdul observed with a smirk, "You've had a past of letting go of your inhibitions, giving in to your desires. I believe I may be able to predict where this chain is leading."

"S-So what? I can ask about my love life!" Polnareff defended.

"It's not that you can't…" Abdul started.

"It's just unsurprising," Joseph stated with a cheeky grin.

"J-Just keep reading the damn cards, Abdul!"

"That…was Polnareff," Suki pointed out.

"Hmm, he sounds loud and obnoxious, from what I can hear."

"Oh, really?" Suki asked with an uncertain laugh.

"But, he _doesn't_ sound like an asshole. At least, not from what I heard."

… _It might be a bit mean to admit, but she was at least half-right about the first statement,_ Suki thought, _but..._

"Polnareff's a good guy, don't you worry."

"Hey, are you talking about me?" Polnareff called from his seat, looking back to the girl on the phone. Something seemed to dawn on him as he spoke, "Actually, now that I think about it…"

The Frenchman put a hand to his chin and scanned Suki up and down. The girl tilted her head.

"If you're this cute, your mom would have to be…"

Suki's eyebrows raised, as Abdul clicked his tongue and brought a hand to his head.

"Honestly, Polnareff, do you _ever_ think before you speak?"

"Polnareff, please, not my mom," The girl begged.

 _She's fifty-two, but also this is my_ mom _, don't rope her into this, please._

As Suki held the phone away from herself to speak to the men at the table, her mother's voice reverberated out loud and clear. She was far from yelling, but the commanding tone that wove through her voice rang through clear as a bell, reaching the ears of all in the room.

"Come to Cairo, and tell that to my face, why don't you?"

Quickly turning away from the now shocked expressions of her comrades, Suki brought the receiver back to her ear and spoke quietly.

"Mom, he's a Stand user, too! Don't pick a fight with him!"

"He may be a Stand user, but can he kickbox?" Suki could hear the smile in her voice, confident of her own strength.

" _Mom._ "

"Like mother, like daughter," Joseph mused with an impish grin.

Suki turned back and stuck her tongue out at the old man. He snickered as she turned back with a roll of her eyes.

"Was that the 'Mr. Joestar' you mentioned before?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, that's him! He's pretty much the leader of the group."

"He sounds like a ladykiller."

…

"One more time, Mom?"

"You know what a ladykiller is, right, Suki?"

"Mom, I _know_ what that is! Why would you say-"

"It was just an observation, honey, but he just sounds like an attractive older man."

"He's _married_! And he's nearly twenty years older than you!"

"Oh, really? That old?"

"I'm…pretty sure…" Suki placed her hand over the mouthpiece and turned back to the group, "Mr. Joestar, how old are you?"

"Sixty-seven years, why?"

"I was just curious," Suki lied through her teeth.

"You sure you weren't asking for a friend?" He grinned.

"Mr. Joestar, _please_ ," Abdul pleaded, desperately trying to bring the man's attention back to the screen as Suki sighed.

"Would you guys leave my mom alone? Jeez…"

"This is…quite an interesting group you have with you, honey."

"Mrgh…" Suki grumbled, turning back to the phone, "You don't have room to talk! Calling someone a ladykiller out of the blue like that…"

"You're making it sound like I said something offensive."

"I know you don't sugarcoat things, Mom, but please don't start hitting on my friends. It's…really weird."

"The only ones doing any flirting are your friends over there. I'm just pointing out my own observations."

Suki sighed.

"If you say so."

"The Fool…Your goal, intertwining with your ideals, is happiness; however, you desire something more than a temporary, fleeting joy. You wish to claim a genuine love for life, a contentedness with who you are and how you are living. Such joy would be a comfort, something to return to whenever you feel melancholic that reminds you that life is good, and should be experienced from start to finish," Abdul explained with a nod, "Yes, that is the goal I see."

Polnareff only nodded in response, his eyes wide as though he had reached enlightenment.

"Is someone getting their fortune read?" Ms. Kanao asked.

Suki's lips curled up involuntarily.

 _I know Mama has normal hearing, so I guess I'm just used to how loud these guys are._

"Yeah, Abdul's reading Polnareff's fortune right now. I can't exactly tell whether it's good or bad, right now. It sounds more like he's telling him a story."

"Abdul, you said?"

Suki's ears pricked at the sound of recognition in her mother's voice.

"Have you two met, Mama?"

"...No. I _do_ know an Abdul, but...this must be coincidence."

"Oh. Okay."

… _I don't think Mama wants to talk about this right now,_ Suki thought, _maybe I can ask Abdul later if he knows her._

"In the near future…" Abdul started, turning over the sixth card, "The Lovers. The near future holds an opportunity for someone to fall for you, who you will fall for in turn. Whether you have plans for love in the future or not, this is likely to occur."

"Oh…?" The Frenchman mused, tilting his head with a hand to his chin, staring analytically at the cards. Suki smirked.

 _An opportunity for someone to fall for you, who you will also fall for…Or someone you've_ already _fallen for?_ Suki pondered, _Mom always told me that tarot card readings can be accurate, but nailing them down to_ details _can be tricky._

"I'm curious, Suki. Who's the other Joestar?"

"Oh! That's Jotaro."

"Jotaro Joestar?"

Suki pursed her lips.

 _Ah, yes. Another unintentional reminder of my failures. Just dandy._

"It's actually _Kujo_ , Mama. Jotaro Kujo."

"Oh, a Japanese first and last name? Quite a worldly bunch, these Joestars…"

 _Jonathan lived in England. Joseph grew up there, too, but spent much of his adulthood in America. Jotaro grew up in Japan. They really have grown up all over the place,_ Suki thought.

"I recommend you shift your approach, at least somewhat, Polnareff," Abdul warned, "The Wheel of Fortune suggests that you're going to tackle this issue rashly. If you don't thoroughly contemplate the risks you may face, and how much preparation you need, you may end up creating more problems than you intend to fix."

"Right," Polnareff agreed with a heavy sigh, his mood darkening, most likely remembering what results he reaped from such an approach in the past.

"Wait, if Jotaro's last name is different, then…" There was an audible pause as Ms. Kanao debated whether to make her concern heard or not. Making her choice, she spoke up once more, "Suki, did Joseph Joestar bring his grandson to fight on this journey?"

"He sure did. Don't worry, though. He has a really strong Stand, and he always keeps a level head in scraps. Jotaro's really reliable! And he's really cool, too! He never lets the bad guy get the best of him. Jotaro's a bit cold sometimes, and he can be rude, too, but…" Suki's eyes crinkled with a smile as she thought more about her friend, "He's actually really nice, once you get to know him. He cares a lot about the people around him, more than he lets on."

"Sounds like someone has a little crush…"

"Wh-Wha…?" The girl's cheeks heated as she heard her mother's laugh over the phone.

 _Was it really that obvious?_

"Just don't let it get too far away from you, dear."

"I'm not gonna! I'm eighteen, Mom, I can handle myself just fine with these things!" _I think_ , She added in her mind, "Besides, you make it sound like he's years older than me, when he's actually younger than me!"

…

"You're kidding," Ms. Kanao spoke in disbelief, "He's _younger_ than you?"

"Not just him, but another one of our group is his age, too! I… still find it hard to believe that sometimes, but it's the truth," Suki admitted, scratching the back of her neck, "Thankfully, there's only a year's worth of difference between their ages and my own. And both of them are really capable. Hell, even more capable than I am."

"The Hermit…" Joseph looked up as Abdul continued, "Given the current environment, no action is appropriate, at the moment. Give this situation time, and consider every option available to you. Wait for the solution to make itself clear to you, and _then_ take action."

"Dammit…" Polnareff huffed, folding his arms and sitting back in his chair, "Of _course_ it would tell me to bide my time. I can't stand sitting around waiting."

"I know, Polnareff," Abdul spoke with a sigh, "But, as they say, 'patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.'"

Joseph snickered. At this, Abdul turned to the old man with a quirked eyebrow.

"Did I misspeak?"

"No, it's just that that was completely different from what _I_ was told about patience."

"And what were you told?" The fortune teller inquired.

"That 'waiting is a sign of true love and patience. Anyone can say 'I love you,' but not everyone can wait and prove it's true.'"

"So, you're saying that Polnareff should be patient in order to secure his future, and, by extension, his goal?" Abdul probed.

"Exactly."

"So, what will the future hold for me, if I _am_ patient?" The silver-haired man asked.

"Well, let's see…"

"So, who's this other seventeen-year-old, honey?"

"Noriaki Kakyoin. He's a high school student, just like Jotaro. I've never met anyone like him before. He's a bit odd, but, his quirks are actually kind of cute. He's been looking out for me a lot lately, and he's really smart. Sweet, too."

"Oh, ho…" Suki could hear her mother smiling on the other line, "So, have you decided between those two boys yet?"

"M-Mom…" Suki muttered, her cheeks flaring up.

 _Much as I'd love to discuss polygamy with my mother, I don't think now is an adequate time,_ Suki mused.

"Well, it sounds like you've made some good new friends, Suki."

"Hehe, yeah," Suki smiled.

"I suspected as much," Abdul affirmed with a nod, "The Empress, denoting careful consideration and a gentle approach. Stay calm with this situation, Polnareff, and don't lose your head. This problem of yours is much more fragile than it appears."

"Pfft, you make it sound like I can't be gentle at all," Polnareff scoffed.

"That's exactly what he's saying," Joseph chimed in.

"What?! _I_ can't be delicate? Says the guy who crashed four different planes!"

"Hey, who told you about the first two?!" Joseph retaliated.

"So, it _is_ true, then!"

"Oh, my God!"

"Would you two quiet down?" Abdul scolded, folding his arms and glaring at the two standing men sternly, "She's still talking on the phone."

Polnareff and Mr. Joestar turned to look at the girl, who was giving them a disbelieving expression. Even Ms. Kanao had gone silent on the other line amidst the men's shouts.

Without a word, the two men sat back down. Abdul cleared his throat.

"Now then, if we could get back to the reading…"

"Oh, right!" Suki remembered, "I've been learning English from Kakyoin! He's been teaching me how to read and write it, and he's a really good teacher, so I've been learning fast, too!"

"Aw, that's great to hear, honey! I'm sorry I could never get around to teaching you that myself."

"No, no, it's fine, Mama! You've been busy! It's okay!" Suki clenched her fist determinedly, "It'll all be fine! Once I find Kyuu, and we take down Dio, I'll go find Aoi and Dad and bring them back. Then…"

Her voice quieted as she spoke, but her tone never lost the resolve it originally held.

"Then, we can pick up where we left off. And, you won't have to overwork yourself anymore, okay?"

Silence reached Suki's ears from the other line.

After what felt like an eternity, her mother spoke.

"You remember what I told you before you left? How people _will_ walk out of your life sometimes?"

"Mom-"

"Please, honey, let me finish."

"…S-Sorry, Mama."

"It's…It's okay."

…

"I…showed you weakness that day. I broke down, and told you that I didn't want to be left alone. Part of me regrets doing that in front of you. You already had so much to worry about. Then, _I'm_ supposed to worry about _you_ , not the other way around.

"Another part of me…is glad I showed you that. It let me realize something."

Suki stayed silent, waiting for her mother to continue.

"Aoi and Steve…left, without looking back. I can't find it in me to tell you that what you've been working toward is fruitless. I guess your optimism is contagious like that," Ms. Kanao laughed sadly, "I have no idea what Dio's done with Kyuu, and I…I was scared, that you wouldn't come home."

"Mama…" Suki's voice shook as she spoke, "I'm sorry…I'm sorry, I put off calling you…I could've asked for a phone anytime, but…I was…I was scared that you'd be dead…Please, be mad at me…I was a coward, Mama…"

"Honey, you've been so brave all of this time. Going out and fighting bad guys, all to save your big brother…If anyone's the coward here…It's me."

"Mama, no, please, don't blame yourself. You didn't do anything wrong."

"You're right. I didn't do anything. But, you did."

"Yeah? And look where that's gotten me. Stumbling back home, not knowing my butt from a well. At least you've been doing something productive this whole time."

"But, you've been productive, too, Suki. You've been helping the Joestars get to Dio."

Ms. Kanao sighed.

"While I'm all for you getting rid of that monster…I want _you_ to be safe."

Suki could hear tears in her mother's voice as she spoke five sorrowful words.

"Please, just come home, Suki."

…

"Wh-What about Kyuu?"

Another sigh was heard on the other end of the phone.

"I…I don't know, honey. For right now, I want to protect the people I _know_ I can keep safe. Once Dio's gone and all of this chaos has blown over…We can figure something out, okay, Petey?"

Suki stopped short.

"…O-Okay, Mama."

"That's my girl. I'm really proud of you, you know that? You've been so brave, and so strong. Just a little bit longer, and you'll be home."

"Y-Yeah…"

"I'll see you soon, okay? I love you."

"L-Love you too, Mama…"

"Okay. Talk to you soon. Bye, Suki."

"Bye-Bye…"

With that, the girl finally hung up. She seemed uncaring of the silence that now sat behind her.

"Why did…Why did she call me that?" Suki wondered aloud, oblivious to the tears streaming down her cheeks, "She…She hasn't called me 'Petey' since I was little…"

All at once, scenes and senses she had pushed into the back of her mind came flooding back.

The smell of her mother's cooking.

Bedtime stories read to her by the soft, warm voice of her mother, trading off with the deep rumble of her father's voice.

The warmth of cotton blankets surrounding her, as her sister slept at her back.

Then, the sight of a flashlight's beacon, as her brother took her by the hand, into the Egyptian night, the cool night breeze whistling past her as she gazed in awe at the star-blanketed sky, reaching out to catch the ones that decided to fall.

"Are you alright, Suki?" She heard Abdul ask.

Wiping gently at her eyes, Suki turned back to the group of men with a smile.

"I'll be fine."

 _I'll be home soon._

 _Then, it'll all be fine._

With a small sigh, she took a seat next to Polnareff. He gazed at her concernedly. She smiled up at him, determined to ease his worries.

"I told you, I'll be fine. Just give it a bit of time."

After a moment, the Frenchman sighed. He patted the girl on the head with a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah, I know."

Deciding to shift the men's focus to some point other than her, she posed a question.

"So, what did the last card end up being?"

"The Magician," Abdul looked perturbed as he noted the card's arcana, his brow furrowing.

"Is…that a bad thing?" Suki asked with a tilt of her head.

"Not necessarily, but…"

"Isn't the Magician your arcana, though, Abdul?" Polnareff asked.

The fortune teller shook his head.

"That has nothing to do with this. I'm just perplexed that _this_ would be the final outcome the cards would point to…"

"Maybe if we go from start to finish, we can figure out where the inconsistency is?" Suki suggested.

"Temperance, followed by the Tower. This displays that Polnareff finds himself unable to act, preventing a truth from coming to light. The Star suggests that he is questioning his values subconsciously because of this secret. Looking to his past, he's had experience of letting himself be taken in by desire, portrayed by the appearance of the Devil card. Then, the Fool came up. Despite his past, and the questions he's posing towards his values now, he wants simple happiness. Whether the love he encounters shown by the Lovers card in the near future will contribute to this or not, he will have to see for himself. Throwing oneself into this situation with little to no thought, like the Wheel of Fortune suggests, will only cause problems. The issue needs careful consideration, and a gentle hand, displayed by the Hermit and Empress cards; however, the Magician appearing as the final outcome…In all of my time fortune telling, I've seen this card come up as an event only a handful of times. It points to the notion that the solution to one's problems will come as if by magic. There is no logic involved, the issue will be resolved through a defiance of logic."

Abdul closed his eyes in contemplation.

"Will this problem be solved through some outside force? Will pure luck come into play somehow? I hate to admit it, but I appear to be drawing a blank…"

He turned to Polnareff, who seemed to be lost in thought, staring intently at the cards.

"What was the question you asked at the beginning? Perhaps that will shed some light on this."

Polnareff seemed to stop short at this question. He fidgeted in his seat slightly, then scratched the back of his neck, as the others waited for him to speak up.

Finally, he did so.

"The question was, 'Will the person I've fallen for fall for me?'"

Abdul smiled sympathetically.

"Ah, I see. Well, the cards seem to indicate that that will be the case, even if the solution comes about illogically. I'm glad you will be able to find happiness, Polnareff."

The Frenchman sighed and closed his eyes, as though about to fall asleep.

"Yeah, I'm glad about that."

Out of the corner of her eye, Suki saw Joseph staring between the two men. She met his eyes and raised an eyebrow.

 _So, are we on the same page concerning this?_ Suki wondered, _is he just not getting it, or…?_

As Mr. Joestar cast his eyes back down to the screen, what sounded like a television being forcefully turned off by having its plug removed reached everyone's ears. The old man's eyes widened. He pressed the button on the microphone.

"Whit? Whit, can you hear me? Whit!"

No answer reached the group.

"I doubt he would be able to respond audibly, even if only the visual feed cut out. He's still underwater, isn't he?" Abdul asked.

"No, he had reached the surface a while ago. He still couldn't talk much since he was swimming, but he managed to say he could see the coast before the screen went black."

"I guess that camera couldn't hold up as well as he thought," Polnareff mused, folding his arms.

"Perhaps. Or, he might be hiding something from us," Abdul explained, "Wouldn't it be all too convenient for the footage from the camera to cut out just as he was about to dispatch an 'enemy' Stand user?"

"So, you guys still don't trust him…" Suki thought aloud.

"Do you trust him, Suki?" Joseph asked.

She shrugged with a wince.

"K-Kind of…?" She held her head in one hand as she spoke, "I just don't know what he's planning. We don't have a firm grasp on his methods, and even his motive hasn't been made _entirely_ clear. What does avoiding calamity even involve, from start to finish, with no details left out? Is it just his _idea_ of avoiding calamity?" Suki shook her head, "What is clear, though, is that he wants to take Dio down, no matter what; however, we don't know if what he'll do to accomplish that will be beneficial to us…"

Mr. Joestar shook his head.

"Regardless, we should get everyone together. Brace ourselves, just in case something happens."

The old man turned to Suki.

"Could you go look for Jotaro and Kakyoin?"

The girl nodded and walked to the door. After making it into the hallway and shutting the door behind her, she picked up her pace, making her way through the vessel.

 _Whit… Just what are you planning?_

* * *

"To be perfectly honest, I'm somewhat glad we've been given this block of free time. It certainly isn't often that we get the chance to just take in our surroundings…" Kakyoin mused, as he stared out of the large window.

"Yeah," Jotaro nodded.

As the redhead's eyes shifted over, he could see the enamored glint in his fellow student's eyes, despite his distant response, as the two gazed out at the undersea expanse.

"A breathtaking sight…" The honor student thought aloud, placing a hand to his chin, "Hm, if only I had brought my sketchbook, I could've captured the majesty of what we see right now…"

"I didn't realize you liked art so much," Jotaro expressed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Painting is something of a hobby of mine. Being able to capture what I see, how I see it…My thoughts and feelings at a particular point in time, translated onto a canvas, for more than just myself to see…" He smiled serenely as he continued, "Even when I die, people will be able to peek into my mind…Art is truly a fascinating display of one's emotions, wouldn't you say?"

"You're not going to die."

Kakyoin turned at this firm response, understanding the subtle concern displayed through his friend's set jaw.

"I was merely referring to the passage of time, Jotaro. I don't plan on dying here, even if the possibility exists."

The delinquent merely sighed.

"On a similar note," The honor student started, "You yourself seem quite intrigued by this view. Enthralled, even."

"Is there something wrong with liking fish?" He asked blandly.

"Not at all. You just seemed really interested in watching them."

Jotaro narrowed his eyes.

"You were gonna call it cute, weren't you?"

 _He saw right through me,_ The honor student thought with a smirk.

"And what if I was?"

"Bastard…" The thug swore, pulling his hat down, "Don't call it that."

Kakyoin chuckled.

"Relax, I was just joking."

"Hm."

With that miniscule response, Jotaro turned and began to walk down the hall. Tilting his head in concern, Kakyoin followed close behind.

Even under the delinquent's heavy jacket, the honor student could see the tension in his friend's shoulders, as though he was struggling to hold a large weight upon them.

 _I wonder if he'd feel comfortable venting his worries…_ The honor student thought.

On closer inspection, they had walked down the hall to an area that seemed to contain different rooms than where they had been previously. Peeking into one of the rooms, Kakyoin found what looked to be a luxurious residential quarters; at least, by a run-of-the-mill submarine's standards. The room was spacious, with a bed bolted to the far wall, and several cupboards and dressers lining the left wall. Turning back to Jotaro, Kakyoin called out to him.

"Jotaro?" The delinquent stopped and turned slightly, the only indication that he was listening, "Do you want to take a break?"

A moment of silence passed, before Jotaro turned and began walking towards the honor student. With a small smile, the redhead opened the door further, walking in himself and leaving the entrance open for his comrade. The delinquent shut and locked the door behind him, clearly wanting privacy.

Kakyoin sat down gently on the bed, as Jotaro sat down beside him, with near two feet of space separating them.

After a few moments of quiet, the honor student spoke up.

"You know you can rely on me, right? It doesn't just have to be for fighting, either. If you're worried about something, I'll listen."

"I know…You said that, but…" He pulled his hat lower as he spoke, "I've never talked with people like this."

"…I haven't either."

Jotaro looked at Kakyoin at this statement.

"And I'm not just saying that. I never really connected with anyone when I was young. Not even my parents," He smiled at his fellow student as he continued, "That's different, now. I have you and everyone else."

Kakyoin shook his head.

"That's enough about me, though. I want you to talk."

"You sure are pushy."

The redhead gave a sheepish smile as his friend pushed his hands into his pockets again.

"Besides, don't we all have enough to worry about already? We don't have time to lick each other's wounds."

Kakyoin tilted his head.

"Do we not have free time at this moment, to do just that?"

Jotaro sighed.

After a moment, the honor student continued.

"I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I've seen this stress taking its toll on you. I want to help you in any way I can. If that involves listening to your worries, that's what I'll do."

"Tch. You sound like Suki."

Kakyoin huffed a small laugh.

"I guess she might have rubbed off on me a bit…"

…

"Are we really going to be able to beat Dio?"

Jotaro shook his head, debating with himself as he continued.

"No, it's not that we won't beat him, of course we will. We have to."

In the short time they had gotten to know one another, Kakyoin became keenly aware that Jotaro showed little emotion by choice. Wanting to better understand his friend, the honor student picked up small social cues, minute differences in expression, slight shifts in intonation: all in order to gain a better comprehension of the enigma that was his fellow student's thought process.

As such, Kakyoin was able to deduce the true concern hiding beneath Jotaro's glib statement.

"You _have_ to go on and beat him…But, you're more than worried. You're _scared_ of what could happen, to more than just you."

…

"You're not the only one who's scared. We're…all scared of what could happen. Weren't you the one who told me that all of us are worried?"

"Yeah…" Jotaro sighed.

"Thinking back…" Kakyoin mused, "We were both worrying about her then, weren't we?"

"…We were."

…

"We're…not going to let her fight Dio, are we?" Kakyoin asked, certain of the answer to this question himself.

Jotaro removed his hat, as he ran his other hand through his short, dark hair. After a moment of what appeared to be contemplation, the delinquent replaced his hat in its proper position.

"We can't…We can't let her."

"We're in agreement, then," Kakyoin claimed, the corners of his mouth falling into a frown.

"She…She wants to be strong enough to save the world."

Jotaro gritted his teeth, his eyes flaring in anger.

"If she fails… she'll go through worse things than death. If that happened to her, I'd…I would…"

In an action otherwise characteristic to him, Jotaro fell silent.

"You…really do care for her."

After a long moment, Jotaro nodded.

"Why don't you tell her, then?"

"...I can't do that."

"And why not?"

"I wouldn't hesitate with anyone else, but…" He clenched his fists, "That _asshole_ Dan fucked her up. He didn't go as far as he could, but, he still ended up breaking something in her."

Jotaro breathed a heavy sigh.

"I'd…I'd be taking advantage of her. I nearly lost it when she asked me to help a few days ago."

"She asked you…?"

The thug proceeded to explain what kind of help she had asked for, and how it seemed to have helped her, but…

"She was…really warm, and soft. If she hadn't told me to stop, I feel like…I wouldn't have been able to keep from…"

In an uncharacteristic gesture, Jotaro held his head in one hand, pinching the bridge of his nose as he spoke.

"The last thing I want to do is hurt her. I can't lose control like that again."

"But, you _didn't_ lose control, did you?"

"No, but…"

Jotaro swallowed thickly. Kakyoin could see his eyes become somewhat clouded, as he likely thought back to the moments that played out between the two of them, despite his own apprehension.

 _Maybe…He needs some help,_ The honor student thought.

"You seem pent-up, Jotaro…" Kakyoin expressed, scooting closer to the delinquent.

Jotaro looked away as his cheeks heated. He was silent.

"You know you can rely on me, right?" The honor student reassured, resting a hand on his fellow student's knee.

"No. I'm not…" Jotaro reached up and pulled his hat over his eyes, "I'm not gonna use you like that."

His breathing picked up as Kakyoin languidly trailed his hand inwards, absentmindedly rubbing circles into his inner thigh as he gazed at the delinquent. Slowly but surely, he inched closer to his pelvis.

"But, who says you're using me?" The redhead asked innocently, his head tilting in question, "If we're both enjoying ourselves…Then neither of us is using the other."

Without warning, Jotaro grasped his comrade's wrist, pulling Kakyoin's hand away from its intended destination. He made eye contact with the honor student. Getting the picture, Kakyoin slowly let his hand drift back to his side. The redhead reached up and twirled his stray strand of hair.

"Sorry," Was all the delinquent said regarding the subject.

"It's alright…I should be saying that to you," Kakyoin expressed.

…

"Hey, you…"

The honor student tilted his head, wondering what was on his friend's mind, as Jotaro took a breath. He locked eyes with Kakyoin.

"You're with her, aren't you?"

… _Was he also worried about that? Was that why he was so hesitant?_ The redhead pondered. He smiled lightly as he explained.

"We have what you might call…an 'open' relationship. We are together, yes, but we aren't limited to just each other. Not at the moment."

"…I see."

This statement pulled a smirk from Kakyoin's mouth.

"Coming from the person who would rather associate with fish than with most girls, such concern seems uncharacteristic."

"Fish are ten times more interesting than any of the bitches I've met. Not to mention…" He grew quiet.

"Not to mention, she isn't 'most girls,' is she? Not to me, and, not to you, it would seem."

"She isn't like them. She could say she would kick someone's ass, and actually leave a mark. Not a big one, but that's beside the point."

…

"I worry about her. More than I think I should."

"Ah, I see," Kakyoin mused, placing a hand on his chin.

"Not a word of this to her, you hear, Kakyoin?" While nowhere near a plea, this was much less of a threat than usual from the thug, as he regained his cold gaze.

"Of course, my lips are sealed," The honor student reassured, "Let me tell you something, though."

He reached over, intending at first to grasp Jotaro's hand, but decided against the act and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder instead.

"You should be honest with her. I know her well enough to know how much she values honesty. That, and she just wants to make us all happy. She'll want to ease your worries, if you have them."

A moment passed before Jotaro nodded.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Kakyoin asked no one in particular, as he stood gracefully and strolled over to the door. Suki stood outside the door, twiddling her thumbs.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked.

"Not at all," Kakyoin replied, "Is something the matter?"

Suki nodded.

"Mr. Joestar wants all of us together, right now."

"What's the problem?" Jotaro asked, coming up behind the honor student.

"We'll explain when we get there, come on," She motioned for the two to follow her.

Kakyoin turned back to Jotaro, a small beam turning up the corners of his mouth. With a sigh, the delinquent stood, letting the ghost of a smile cross his features before turning to walk out the door and follow the two into the hall.

* * *

"Brando…? But…But that can't…"

"Be? I understand, it is quite difficult to believe; however, I feel one's standards for distinguishing fact from fantasy should start with the truth that my original managed to survive as a severed head, and attach himself to the body of his worst enemy. Truly, a majestic display of power over another," Whit sighed, before adding after a few moments, "By the by, could you possibly call me 'Whit'?"

Whit steadily approached the woman sitting lackadaisically on the desert coast. Her hair was long, curly, dark, and flowing, her simple blue dress flapping in the slight breeze. Her widened dark eyes slowly settled, as she shifted her legs underneath, accented by red high heels. She raised a thin eyebrow, as her full pink lips voiced another question.

"You don't like the name 'Brando' anymore, or something?"

Whit closed his eyes in contemplation and folded his arms, his expression growing perturbed.

"I'm not sure. All I can remember…Is that I wanted to be called Whit."

"You…lost your memory?"

"My memory of what?"

"Oh…Nothing," She gave a sultry chuckle, "Of course. No one can resist the allure of Lord Dio. Whether you lost your memory or… _choose_ not to remember what occurred, all that matters is that you are on the right side again."

"Resist Lord Dio?" Whit asked, his grin returning once more, "Such an act would only be possible for the most atheist of heathens. I cannot even imagine their thought processes."

"Mmhmhm, you've got that right."

The two kept silent for a few moments, as the woman stood, careful to keep her appearance unsullied by the sand. She brushed her hair back with a hand, as she looked out to the sea, another gust of wind blowing her hair behind her.

"The idea that someone her age could be so childish…" She shook her head, "I'll give her this, though, I wish I could've stayed innocent as long as she has."

"Do you envy her, Miss…Midler?" Whit probed.

The woman sighed.

"It's Rose, today. Rose. And, no, I don't envy her. Not in the slightest. I have better things to do than act like a child, but, you know what they say. Ignorance is bliss."

"Your statement does hold truth."

A moment passed, silent, save for the waves lapping at the shore.

"I must admit, though, I did not expect you to be wearing something so…restrained. I find myself much more accustomed to your other outfit."

"All right, cut the crap, honey," Rose turned to Whit, placing a hand on her hip as she narrowed her eyes, "You're _never_ interested in me, and when you _do_ try to out-flirt me, it's because you _want_ something. So, spill. What do you want?"

Whit chuckled darkly.

"Well, Lord Dio would like for you to stand down, and return to the mansion, posthaste."

"Oh, really, now?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Really now."

"Well, I think Lord Dio would tell me _himself_ if he wanted me to change my objective. I'm staying until that man tells me different."

"So, there will be no budging you from this location. Is that what you are telling me?"

"I'm not moving unless Lord _Dio_ tells me. Not you."

…

"Very well. I guess this will be executed…the 'hard way,' then."

Rose's expression grew confused, until, all too late, she was distinctly aware of a presence directly behind her, the cold metal of a gun barrel pushed straight into the back of her skull. Her eyes widened. Whit smiled hauntingly, as he spoke only one word.

"Farewell."

"Br-!"

The gun fired, a loud bang resonating through the air, as Rose's body fell forward onto the ground, thick streams of blood seeping through her hair and slowly pooling on the ground beneath her head. The body once belonging to Rose was limp, becoming steadily cold in the deep night air, her eyes still wide with shock, now empty with no sign of life.

"You're sure…that this will change the future?"

Whit looked up from Rose's lifeless body to address the cold young woman, her black curls billowing in the wind, and her night-blue eyes shimmering in the darkness. He caught the small pistol she threw to him.

"Of course, Miss Jackson, as long as you keep following my instructions. Now, from here, this is how I require you to behave…"

* * *

"…So, I sent Suki to find you two, and that's where we stand," Joseph finished.

"I…doubt you needed to tell them the details of my fortune-reading, Mr. Joestar," Abdul sighed.

"Hey, it was important!"

"…So, the screen didn't even flicker in the meantime? And you haven't heard anything from the device since?" Kakyoin asked.

"No, it's been completely dead."

"Are you sure you didn't accidentally switch it off, old man?" Jotaro questioned.

"I checked the thing from top to bottom, in every direction, and there's no buttons on it. It's just a screen," Mr. Joestar explained, turning the device over and over in his hand.

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Polnareff asked.

"Whit said to wait until his signal to start the sub again…And, we're wasting precious time just sitting here, waiting for him to come back…" Suki mused, placing a hand to her chin.

"Maybe we could just-"

Suddenly, the screen flickered white. As Joseph's eyes widened, he turned the screen towards himself, and, soon thereafter, he was greeted by Whit's grinning visage.

"My sincerest apologies, Mr. Joestar. It appears the camera had experienced a technical difficulty whilst I made the journey to the Egyptian coast. Due to the enemy Stand user's interference, I was only able to validate the safety of the device just now. Speaking of whom…"

As he spoke, he turned the camera's view to capture the sight of the dead person next to him. A person who looked to be a woman lay face-down in a pool of blood, the red collected in droplets in her long black locks of hair. Turning the camera back to himself, Whit prepared to speak, but Polnareff cut him off.

"How do we know she's really dead?"

The blond man sighed.

"I _do_ wish you all would trust me. It is not simple to pour one's heart out like I did, are you not aware? But, if I must…"

With that, Whit turned the woman over onto her back, as her empty eyes looked up at the dark sky without a thought. Making sure her body was in full view of the camera, Whit took out a knife. He slid the blade across his finger, his skin opening in a red gash. After ensuring he had proven the realness of the weapon, he switched his grip on the knife and, without warning, jammed it into the woman's chest. Those looking over Joseph's shoulder flinched at the display. The woman's body refused to move.

"You can see now, right? The enemy is dead, and there is no need to worry."

"Where's the gun?" Jotaro asked.

"The gun?" Whit asked with a tilt of his head.

"The wound in the back of her head wasn't caused by a knife. Only a quick glance at that area would tell anyone that her cause of death was some sort of firearm," The delinquent explained.

"Plus, your knife is clean, with no signs of recent bloodstains," Suki added, "Knives aren't easy to clean after a job like that."

"Honestly, now," As Whit spoke, he removed his hat and pulled at a zipper that blended in with the darkness of the inside of the headgear. Pulling the flap up, he revealed a small pistol, previously hidden to all eyes. Holding the gun lightly in his hand, what looked to be a .10 caliber, he brought a finger to the barrel of the weapon, lightly streaked with blood, and continued, "You cannot be expecting a man, traveling with no assistance, to not carry a weapon of some sort, can you? Much skill as I have, I do not have prowess in throwing knives, so guns must account for attacking from a distance.

"Now, then," Whit redirected the group's attention to himself, as he replaced the gun and his hat, "Please, restart the vehicle and continue your journey. I will meet you all at the coast."

With that, the screen cut out once more. The group exchanged quizzical looks.

"I guess…We start moving again?" Suki suggested with a shrug.

Joseph exhaled a heavy sigh.

"Yeah. Let's set out again."

* * *

Later…

"This is actually pretty easy. I guess it's no wonder you can drive it, Abdul," Polnareff boasted with a satisfied smile as he steered the submarine in a lackadaisical manner.

 _I give it three seconds before-_

A loud clang resounded through the structure, as the sub rumbled, as though it had made violent contact with an obstacle.

 _Didn't even make it to one,_ Suki thought.

Abdul brought his hand to his face exasperatedly.

"For crying out loud!" He looked at the Frenchman accusingly as he scolded, "Hey, don't get overconfident. There are many obstacles in the sea."

Polnareff waved a hand dismissively.

"Yeah, I know," He then replaced his hand on the wheel and leaned forward, "All right! Let's speed up just a little bi-"

A much louder clang accompanied the beginning of the sub quaking with even more magnitude than before. Abdul grabbed Polnareff's shoulder as his face twisted in panicked anger.

"Polnareff!"

"That wasn't me!" Polnareff denied.

Suki sighed.

 _Right. Can we just have an "Only Dad Drives" rule? Please?_

* * *

"Can…we take a break?" Suki asked, looking up from the pages of her notebook, filled with English sentences.

"Of course, Suki. There's no rush," Kakyoin assured from the other side of the coffee table.

The two had found themselves in a surprisingly spacious living quarters, albeit with minimalist decorations. The bed bolted to the wall on the far side of the room sat next to a tiny bedside table with a sliding switch, presumably for the lights, which in turn was situated beside a small set of cupboards. The window that hung over the bed was quite small, but allowed one to immediately look at the undersea life after sitting up in bed. In the middle of the room sat a small coffee table, at which the two sat, as Suki practiced English once more in what felt like ages.

After separating themselves from the group, Suki had recounted most of the phone call with her mother (save for the less than savory bits) to the honor student, and explained how, even though the possibility of going out to find her sister and father after the journey now seemed dubious, she still wanted to try to practice the language.

Her motivation seemed to be waning, though.

Suki laid her arms on the table, catching her head. She looked up at the honor student.

"Sorry, I know it's been a while since we've done this…"

"It's alright. Don't push yourself too hard," He reassured with a sympathetic smile. Kakyoin reached over and patted Suki's head, as she closed her eyes contentedly, yielding to the physical contact.

As he removed his hand, Suki gave him a tired smile and stood up. She shoved off her boots and crawled onto the bed, pressing her hands against the wall to support herself as she gazed out at the watery depths just past the window.

"I swear, this sight never gets old, no matter which angle you look from," The girl marveled. She began to direct her voice behind her as she called out to her partner, "Noriaki, come look."

She felt the bed give slightly under more weight, as a familiar presence approached from behind. Kakyoin knelt behind her, wrapping his arms across her stomach, as she leaned back into his torso. Suki saw his eyes glimmer as he looked out the window.

"It really is a beautiful sight," He murmured.

A few moments passed in contented silence, before the honor student chuckled to himself.

"It surprises me to say this, but Polnareff may have had the right idea before…"

"About?" Suki asked, her lips curling up into a smile as she turned to look back at him.

"He implied that something like this would be better enjoyed with a cute girl," He explained, raising a hand to Suki's face, stroking her cheekbone with his thumb as she closed her eyes in comfort, "I really am lucky."

Suki's face glowed red as she fidgeted in slight embarrassment. She did nothing to pull away.

"Nori…"

Kakyoin's eyebrows raised before his irises clouded with lust, his eyes falling half-lidded as he flicked his tongue across his lips.

"Suki."

He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Absentmindedly, Suki rested her hand on Kakyoin's thigh. A low, primal noise reached the girl's ears, resonating through her body as their mouths met again.

"N-Noriaki…" Suki spoke against him, pulling back slightly from the liplock. She swallowed down the lump in her throat, as her partner brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes darted to any place she could think to look as she tried to decide if she truly wanted to make the request on her mind heard.

 _We might die at any moment on this journey, and I really_ do _like Noriaki…_ Suki thought, _But, how would_ he _feel about this? Would he_ want _to? Am_ I _mentally prepared for this? I mean, I've read some stuff, so I'm slightly more educated about this now, but I still don't know what the hell I'm doing…!_

"Suki?"

The girl finally met Kakyoin's eyes with a deer-in-headlights expression. He gave a comforting smile as he rested his head on her shoulder, giving her a loving squeeze as he did so.

"You know you can tell me anything. What's bothering you?"

"U-Uhm, well…" Suki bit her lip as her voice lowered to a quiet whisper, as though fearful that the walls would hear her. She felt she would die of heat stroke, for how feverishly warm she felt.

"D-Do you…want to…h-have…have…"

Kakyoin raised his head from its resting place, looking at his partner head-on in a quizzical manner.

"…Have…sex…?"

The honor student's lips parted slightly in surprise as his eyes widened. Observing this reaction, Suki quickly bowed her head and shook it back and forth, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Sorry, sorry, forget I said anything! Just forget it!"

A moment passed before Suki felt the body against her back move away. Anxious, Suki looked to her right to see Kakyoin sitting directly beside her, a concerned expression painting his features as he met the girl's gaze.

"Th-That's…a 'no,' I'm guessing?" Suki probed.

Kakyoin shook his head.

"Of course not, I…" He blushed as a shy smile turned up his lips, "I would love to, Suki. However…" His smile disappeared as he locked eyes with her, his countenance serious, "I want to make certain that _you_ are alright with this."

Suki fidgeted, fisting at the sheets underneath her as she turned over what she wanted in her head over and over again.

Finally, she came to a decision.

"I…I really _do_ want to…I want to have sex with you. I want to…lose my virginity to you."

Kakyoin shuffled over and placed his hands on Suki's shoulders.

"You're absolutely certain?"

The girl covered his hands with her own as she took a breath.

"Please…Take me, Noriaki."

* * *

 **WARNING - So, yeah, it's probably obvious at this point, but sex is gonna happen. Skip to the next line after this warning if you aren't okay with that.**

* * *

Kakyoin closed the distance between them in no time at all, smashing his lips against hers as he eased her back onto the bed. They each took a breath before diving back in. Suki finally found the courage to card her fingers through her partner's surprisingly soft red locks, the fingers of her other hand intertwining with his.

The two were inexperienced, but chose to take their time, feeling the situation out with slow, long kisses. It was clear that the "honor student" had done more research, though, with how he was leading the girl underneath him through with deep, loving purses of his mouth, coaxing his name from her lips with each retreat for air. The honor student pulled back, keeping close enough to not sever the connection between her hand and his hair. With cloudy purple eyes, he raked his gaze across her form.

Her lips were redder and kiss-bruised, and her mouth was parted in silent request for more, as her chest rose and fell with each heavy breath she took. Her hair was already disheveled from lack of care and her eyes stared back at her partner, laced with uncertainty overshadowed by a curiosity and sexual appetite that could not be sated in their current condition. The honor student could barely believe that the girl he had fallen for, _this_ girl, was lying underneath him, asking for _him_ to be the one to rid her of her innocence.

"Nori…?"

Kakyoin did not respond, letting his actions do the talking as he cupped his partner's face and kissed her once more. The pathetic mewl that presented itself to him encouraged the man to move right along, as he trailed a hand along Suki's cheekbone, drifting down her neck. He teasingly drummed his fingers down her collarbone before palming her breast, pleased by her flustered reaction.

"A-Ah!"

"Just tell me if you ever want to stop, alright?" Kakyoin asked with a gentle smile.

"M-Mmhmm…" She nodded, as the honor student slid his hands underneath her tank top, pushing the fabric up to her chest.

Suki sat up, pulling the shirt off of her body and chucking it across the room. She looked up at Kakyoin to see him smiling at her, as though on the verge of laughing. She laughed nervously herself as she scratched her cheek.

"I-I guess I'm still learning how to be tactful about this sort of thing."

The honor student huffed a small chuckle, as he reached up to begin unbuttoning his school jacket.

"That's quite all right. You don't have to be a star student there yet."

Coming up with an idea, Suki reached over and placed her hands over his. His confused gaze was met with an uncharacteristically sly grin from her.

"Maybe give the student a chance to show what she _can_ do…?"

Suki slowly began to push the buttons out of their matching holes, letting her fingers skim across his chest as she continued her languid pace, never breaking eye contact as her half-lidded gaze kept.

"I'm definitely not as experienced…So, could you teach me what I don't know, Nori…?" She lilted, as she reached the last few buttons.

Kakyoin's breathing hitched as she grazed her hands up his abdomen, skating along the defined contours of his torso through his undershirt.

"That depends…Are you willing to be tested on the material?" He asked with a smirk, reaching around her quickly to deftly unhook her bra. The small squeak he pulled from her throat with this action sent a jolt of excitement straight to his hardening manhood.

"Well…" Suki started, keeping her bra held up on her shoulders with her hands, slowly letting the straps drift down her arms as she gazed up at her partner from under her lashes, "Would I be… _punished_ , if I didn't do well enough?"

"Hm," Kakyoin hummed, shrugging off his school jacket, "Only…if you were _bad_."

"I guess…" Suki let her now-removed bra slip from her fingers onto the floor, as she began to work his undershirt off of his body in a similar manner as he had done to her, reveling in the feeling of warm skin underneath her fingertips, "I'll just have to be a _good_ _girl_ for you, won't I?"

Kakyoin quickly slipped out of his shirt and allowed it to join her underwear in the steadily-growing pile of clothes. Suki allowed her gaze to meander over the lean muscle sported across his torso. His skin underneath all of the layers was much paler than his face and hands, unsurprisingly, and blemish-free, despite all of the fighting they had been doing on this journey. She reached out and pressed her palm against his chest, tracing along his pectorals, shivering as he inhaled sharply.

Meanwhile, Kakyoin looked his fill over the girl, her modest breasts not detracting from the smooth skin of her stomach, pulled taut over almost invisible abdominal contours. Despite most of her stomach and chest remaining covered by what she wore over the course of the journey, years of living under the Egyptian sun seemed to have ingrained a tanner color into her skin. As his gaze slid down, it caught sight of an object that, while dear to the owner, _would_ be an obstacle if they were to go further.

"Suki?" Kakyoin called, pointing at the girl's chest.

"Huh?"

Suki followed the point with her eyes, spotting her pendant dangling from her neck, previously obscured by her shirt. She slowly slipped the necklace off, staring at the soft star shape in the palm of her hand. Her thumb rubbed across the middle in contemplation. With a nod of finality, she placed it on the side table, her eyes drifting over to the sliding switch she had noticed earlier. With a smirk she intended to be seductive, which must have worked given the way Kakyoin swallowed thickly at her expression, she slowly turned the lights down, dimming them into a form of mood lighting.

Sitting back on the bed, she reached out to her partner with an open hand, her flushed cheeks betraying her certain smile. Kakyoin took her hand and coaxed her closer, embracing her, pressing his torso flush against hers. The two shuddered at the contact, as Kakyoin gently pushed her down to the bed. Smiling at her, the honor student gave Suki a small peck on the lips before moving to her neck. He began to lick and suck at the thin skin, as his other hand came up to touch her chest. Kakyoin smiled against her, as she gasped at the contact.

"N-Nori…aki…" Suki whimpered as her partner grasped her breast, palming it gently and thumbing her nipple, his mouthing at her collarbone never faltering. She noted how his hands felt much smoother than Jotaro's. It made enough sense: Kakyoin certainly spent less time picking fights than Jotaro did, from what she knew, and no amount of papercuts or pencil-mishandling could ever get the honor student's fingers and palms to the level of coarseness found on the hands of the delinquent, so battle-worn and rough that no pumice stone could smooth the callouses.

Kakyoin pressed warm, open-mouthed kisses to the girl's skin, praising her body silently as he moved slowly down to her as-of-yet unattended breast. Suki's breathing picked up as her eyes squeezed shut even tighter in anticipation. After what felt like forever, the redhead exhaled a puff of air over her nipple, sending a shiver down her spine. With no hesitation, he took the pink nub into his mouth, swirling his tongue over it as Suki finally loosed a moan at the hot, wet contact.

 _This is happening, this is_ actually _happening_ , Suki finally sorted through her jumbled mess of thoughts. She was almost disbelieving of this turn of events herself. To think she had ever wanted to perform this sort of activity with her brother struck such a wrong note with her now, and for good reason. Much as she loved Kyuu, these sorts of actions now seemed forbidden, _shameful_ to be committed with a family member. To think she had never _known_ , all these years, what this kind of action was, what it would _feel_ like. Even after becoming educated, not once did she come to the conclusion that she would be engaging in the activities not only so soon, but also with someone in the group of friends she had made on the journey.

 _And to think…this is happening with_ Kakyoin _, too…He wasn't lying about that "research" he did…_

Suki cracked her eyes open to see Kakyoin gazing at her half-liddedly, hoping to catch every reaction of hers to his ministrations. He finally removed his mouth from her breast, licking his lips as though he'd tasted something he liked. Amidst her quiet pants, she smiled, bringing a hand up to his cheek to beckon him closer without words.

He took her hand in his and kissed her palm, pulling away from her touch, much to her distress, only to kiss the middle of her chest. The man left a trail of feather-light presses of his lips in his wake, as he meandered down to her shorts, undoing the belt with a few quiet clanks and slowly curling his fingers over the hem, pulling them down her legs as he continued lave attention over her skin, following the fabric downwards. Kakyoin dropped the shorts and belt to the side of the bed, sitting back on his heels as he looked his fill of the breathless girl. He leaned back over her, resting one hand on her cheek, the other on her hip.

"You're perfect, Suki. Absolutely perfect," His eyes glinted as he praised his partner.

The girl blinked before flushing an even brighter red. With how close they were, even with their remaining garments keeping their bodies separate, Suki could just barely feel the tip of his erection, straining against his slacks, brushing against her.

"Do you…still want to-!"

The honor student interrupted himself with a moan, as Suki rolled her hips upward into him, desperate for some sort of contact between their lower halves.

 _I-I don't know what I was expecting to feel…_ She thought, _but all I know is I want to feel it_ more _…_

She ground her pelvis into his once more, as Kakyoin seemed to lose his restraint, as he grasped desperately at her hips. He thrusted against her, pulling whimpers and whines out of her throat as he lost himself in the feeling of his clothed cock rubbing directly against her covered womanhood, already soaking through her simple undergarments. They were so close, and yet so far from actual intercourse. With each push against her, Kakyoin became more and more conflicted as to whether or not _this_ would be enough for the both of them. Tentatively, he wrapped his fingers around the waistband of her panties, pulling at it in a silent question. Suki nodded, covering her face with her arms as he pulled off the final article of clothing she wore.

"Suki."

Kakyoin took hold of Suki's arms and pushed them away from her face, gazing at her with lust-clouded eyes, as she bit her lip.

"I told you that you were perfect. That hasn't changed. There's no need to be embarrassed."

"N-Noriaki…"

"Here, come here."

He wrapped an arm around the girl and pulled her up into a sitting position, situating himself behind her. She blushed at the distinct sensation of his cock pressed between her tailbone and his pelvis.

"Wh-what are…you going t-ahh!"

Suki yelped as she felt a slender finger trace her slit, as gently as a butterfly's wings fluttered, as she felt similar butterflies in her stomach. She felt another hand reach around her waist and caress her breast again, as Kakyoin's finger stroked circles along her entrance. Her cries grew louder as he pressed against her clit, moving his thumb to rub against the sensitive bundle of nerves as his finger pushed into her.

"Mmngh…"

She closed her eyes and looked away. Undeterred by her reaction, Kakyoin kissed along her shoulder, stopping to suck on the thin skin of her neck as he joined a second finger alongside the first. This caused the girl to cover her mouth with a hand as she loosed a pathetic cry of arousal. She tried in vain to squeeze her legs together, only to find she could barely move them. Looking at her ankles, she saw familiar green tendrils wrapping around them, forcing her legs open.

"Y-you…dammit…"

"I can't help it, Suki…" Kakyoin drawled, letting his hot breaths ghost over her ear, causing her to shudder, "I don't want to miss this sight of you."

Suki gasped as a third finger pushed into her.

"Don't you want to see, Suki…?"

The girl swallowed thickly. After a moment of hesitation, she reluctantly stared down at the ministrations of her partner's hands. The way his left hand fondled her breast, the arm wrapping around her waist, pinning her body to his. The way the fingers of his right hand continued to thrust into her, with little obstruction, as he dexterously curled and scissored them, slowly stretching her open. The way his thumb still pressed _just so_ over her clit.

"I don't mean to embarrass you, but I just can't get over how alluring you are. How warm you feel against me, how easily my fingers are slipping into and out of you, how your voice is music to my ears. I want nothing more than to lose myself in your warmth. I want to experience that feeling with no other woman but you, Suki, if you're so willing."

 _Fuck, this dirty talk is riling me up…_ Suki swore inwardly, _well, two can play at this foreplay game!_

With a small sigh, she summoned Knight of Cups.

Kakyoin jolted at the feeling of a hand palming his manhood through his slacks. Looking to the side, he saw a much redder-tinted Knight of Cups reaching for his belt. If this Stand had eyebrows, they would most certainly have been raised, judging by the expression the wraith carried. He panted as Knight's hand fished his cock out of his pants and began to stroke along the length, precum dripping from the tip.

 _I can feel what she's feeling, to an extent…_ Suki thought, _I didn't think they'd look or feel like_ this _in real life…I had a general picture, but fiction just can't match up to the genuine article…_

"S-Suki…That's…"

The honor student stopped to catch his breath, as he focused on the sensation of a hand caressing his needy prick. Feeling the binds on her ankles vanish, Suki gently removed Kakyoin's hands, a shiver rushing down her spine as she pulled his fingers out of her. She stood and turned to her partner, watching as he grasped the sheets in tight fists. Knight slowly leaned in closer as she continued her ministrations, intensely concentrating on her motions. Glancing at her user, what looked like eyelids shaded her white irises, asking a question without words as she looked from Suki back to her handiwork and back again.

 _She's asking if I want to try this…_ She pondered, _I'll admit, I_ am _curious…_

Kakyoin looked between the two curiously as they exchanged glances.

"What…are you two…?"

He groaned lowly, as the tip of his cock pushed into the area where Knight's mouth would lie. Suki swallowed at the odd feeling of something invisible resting in her own mouth.

Even though her mouth could still function normally, as though what was in Knight's mouth did not affect her, she could still feel her partner's prick on her tongue. The odd sensation of tasting liquid that slipped over her own tongue, and tasting something salty despite her mouth being empty, while bizarre, was incredibly arousing, especially as she watched Kakyoin screw his eyes shut and throw his head back as Knight took more of him into what should've been her mouth. Suki stepped forward with a mischievous grin, as she pressed her hands against his chest. The man opened his eyes ever so slightly to look up at the girl.

"Well, now I see why you were having so much fun earlier, this _is_ a sight I don't want to miss."

She leaned forward and began to repay his lip service in kind, kissing up his neck amidst his hitched breathing. She thumbed his nipple with one hand as she rested the other on his shoulder. She reached up and sucked on his earlobe, tonguing the thin wire of his earring.

"You know, you call _me_ beautiful more often than not, but you don't give yourself nearly enough credit…" Suki murmured amidst heavy pants, "I think you're gorgeous, Nori. You're not the only one who's feeling lucky."

"Suki…!"

With shocking grace, Kakyoin wrapped his arms across Suki's back and pulled her to him, falling back on the bed as he unintentionally dislodged Knight from her work. The Stand remained for a moment before rejoining her user's figure. Suki looked up, smiling at what she saw. Kakyoin looked so intoxicated with happiness that she thought he might cry. Taking his cheeks in her hands, she claimed his lips, simply savoring the warmth of his mouth against hers. After not nearly long enough, she pulled back and blushed.

"Do you…still want to…?"

Kakyoin carded his fingers through Suki's hair as he smiled lovingly at her.

"Of course, my dear. Just…let me…"

Suki rolled over, crawling over to the head of the bed and yanking off her socks, as Kakyoin set to removing his pants and underwear. After pulling his bottoms and socks off, he reached up and took out his earrings, setting them on the table next to Suki's necklace. The honor student seemed to realize something, as he reached down and picked up his school jacket. Fishing through the pockets, he pulled out a small plastic wrapper, easily fitting in the palm of his hand.

 _That's…That's a…!_

"W-Were you planning this, Nori?" Suki asked, her eyes widening slightly.

"Not at all!" Kakyoin denied, raising his other hand in a defensive gesture, "I found it in my pocket at one point while we were all exploring the submarine. I certainly would've remembered _buying_ two of these, so _someone_ must have slipped them into my pocket," He sighed and folded his arms, "Honestly, I won't have to sacrifice too many guesses on who the culprit could be."

"Culprit, singular? But, there are _two_ condoms…" Suki asked, "Or, did he think…? How…How many times…?"

Kakyoin said nothing. He opened his mouth and closed it several times, as though confident in his claim, but then immediately losing that confidence to the ether in a vicious cycle.

 _So, I would guess Polnareff and… Mr. Joestar, maybe?_ Suki wondered, _did they both separately plan to slip a condom in his pocket? Was this a joint effort of wing-manning behavior? I'm…honestly too preoccupied to think about this right now._

Despite his earlier confidence, Kakyoin walked back over to the bed with a small semblance of anxiety, as he fumbled with the wrapper several times before finally steadying his hands enough to rip the plastic open and remove the condom. With a deep breath, he maneuvered the latex over his erection, as Suki cast her eyes away. She shifted her attention back to her partner as she heard the squeal of springs and felt the mattress give under more weight. Looking up at Kakyoin, as he lined his tip with her entrance, she swallowed thickly upon feeling the head directly against her womanhood.

No more articles of clothing separated them.

They had been completely laid bare for each other.

About to act on the most primal of human desires.

"Suki…" Kakyoin called quietly, as he brought a hand up to her cheek. Suki reached up with her own hand, intertwining her fingers with his and leaning into his affectionate touch.

"You're _sure_ you still want to do this?"

Suki hesitated.

 _I…_

She nodded firmly.

"I want to."

With full consent given, Kakyoin finally began to push forward into Suki.

 _Well, this doesn't feel so bad, actually, it's just a little- OH GOD, PAIN!_

She threw her hands to her mouth as she flinched from the sensation of something tearing inside of her.

 _Okay, I'm pretty sure…No, I_ know _I'm bleeding…_ Suki thought, cracking her eyes open, _I just hope Noriaki isn't panicking…_

True to her hopes, Kakyoin looked down calmly as his partner, concern warming his gaze as he leaned down to her ear, careful not to move his lower body too much.

"Just tell me when to move. I'll wait as long as you need," He murmured, kissing along her cheek and jawline.

"Nori…"

Suki felt she was close to tears as he spoke so gently to her. She had known that the first time would hurt, but she hadn't expected the pain to be this strong. Nonetheless, she found herself touched by Kakyoin's patience, as he intended to ease the pain with well-placed presses of his lips to her skin. On instinct, the girl turned her head to catch the man's lips. The contact with her mouth was unexpected, but not unwelcome to the honor student, as he dipped his tongue into her mouth with a low groan.

Attempting to focus her attention on anything besides the pain in her lower body, Suki sucked needily on her partner's tongue, running one hand along his abdominal muscles while the other trailed up his arm. In response, Kakyoin began to caress her breast once more. She shivered at the feeling of something curling around her clit. Upon separating and looking down, she saw yet another fluorescent green tendril snaking up her leg and attending to her sweet spot. The redhead smiled.

"I want to make you feel _good_ , Suki. I'll do everything I can to lessen the pain."

She wrapped her arms around her partner's neck and pulled him in for a kiss. After a few moments, she retreated and smiled.

"You can move now."

"You're sure?"

Suki shifted her hips experimentally, gasping lightly at the feeling.

"I-I'm… _real_ sure," She was anxious, not because she expected to feel more pain, but because all of the pain had faded, leaving the odd feeling of being stretched from his manhood being shoved inside of her. She was anticipatory of how good it would feel for him to move, if staying still within her already gave her a distinct feeling of pleasure.

Satisfied with this answer, Kakyoin eased out of her slowly, before thrusting back in. The two moaned at the sensation, as the honor student locked his elbows on either side of her, nearly losing his balance at the ecstasy flooding his body.

" _God_ , Suki…" He breathed.

"D-Don't stop _now_ ," Suki whimpered, wrapping her legs around his lower body, "I need you…"

"Suki…"

Kakyoin pressed his lips firmly to hers as he began to push into her.

The honor student's movements were focused and slow, intent on feeling every sensation of his prick moving inside of her.

Suki, on the other hand, was less patient.

"Noriiiiii…" She whined, canting her hips up, desperate for a faster pace, "Can you…go faster…? I'm not _that_ delicate..."

Kakyoin huffed a small laugh.

"As you wish."

He wrapped his arms around Suki, pressing his torso flush against hers. and began to meet his hips with hers with much more force than before. The moans of the two became needier with every thrust, as Suki pushed her hips out to meet his as he pushed into her. She could feel her partner stretching every inch of her insides in a wonderful wash of feeling as he buried his face in her neck, his hot breath rolling over her collarbone.

"S-Suki…You feel…You feel so good…So warm…" He praised, nestling even more into the girl, as though he wanted to curl up into her, gather more of the feeling in his lower body into every fiber of his being with every push and pull.

The girl could barely find words as she panted heavily. She would think she had something to say, but whatever would've passed her lips was lost as a fragmented moan as her partner shoved into her again. Her nerves were set alight as he gave a particularly savage thrust into her core, hitting a point she could never have even dreamed of reaching on her own.

"N-Nori, _there_!" She cried, feeling her jaw go slack as he set to hit that point with every consecutive motion.

While Suki was rendered completely enslaved to the pleasure rushing through her veins, Kakyoin was at the very least aware of the bed knocking into the wall with each motion.

 _Not very well-bolted, it would seem,_ he thought, _Well, we can't have that, now can we?_

The girl's eyes shot open as she felt her partner pull out of her completely. Gazing at him concernedly, the concern quickly morphed into confusion as she felt herself lifted from the bed, pulled into Kakyoin's lap on the side of the bed as he smiled knowingly at her.

"Wouldn't want the others to hear us, now would we?" He asked.

As his lips pulled into a more confident smirk, he lined himself up once more with Suki's entrance and pushed up into her. She threw her head back and wailed, as Kakyoin released a fragmented groan.

"N-Nori, they're _going_ to hear us anyway with…with all of _our_ noise!" Suki worried.

"That can be easily solved."

"How s-!"

She was cut off by Kakyoin smashing his lips against hers, as he began to thrust his hips upwards into her. Suki gave a startled, muffled moan, before shutting her eyes and wrapping her arms around her partner's neck, rolling her hips into his as they reestablished their rhythm.

Suki lost herself in the honor student's surprisingly soft lips, eagerly mouthing at them and begging him to deepen the kiss with quieted whimpers. Not much persuasion was needed for him to comply, as he nipped at her lower lip before separating his lips, reaching to tangle his tongue with hers again, as he greedily grasped at her hips, pressing her down onto his length, swallowing every bit of pleasure she vocalized.

"Nori…" Suki pulled back, needing to catch her breath, as a trail of saliva connected their mouths. Licking her lips, she continued, "We can't…We can't keep that up _forever_ , Nori…"

"Of course. We need to breathe."

"Wha…?" Suki started, instinctively moving in closer to her partner as he continued to move, resting her head on his shoulder and looking up at him, "Then why…act like… we _can_?"

"I want… to hear your voice, Suki," He admitted, grasping her chin in his hand amidst his labored breathing, "But, I… want to _feel_ your voice… even more."

She couldn't help mashing her lips against his once more, eager to please him as much as he was pleasing her, keeping her voice unrestrained as their moans and grunts mingled between their lips with each thrust. The girl felt the heat in her belly tighten considerably, like a taut spring only seconds from uncoiling, as her mewls and pants heightened in pitch.

"Suki, I'm…I'm close…!"

"M-Me too, Nori…" She murmured, pressing her forehead to his.

Kakyoin began to push into the girl at an even faster pace, desperately reaching for his end, dropping all pretenses as their climaxes steadily approached. They held on to each other as tightly as they could, fighting against the slip-slide of their sweat-glistening bodies.

"N-Nori…! _Noriaki_!"

Suki cried out, convulsing as her orgasm overtook her, throwing her head back and keening, her walls clamping down tightly on Kakyoin's manhood.

Seeing his lover come undone right in front of him, feeling her go even tighter around him, only rocketed the honor student right over the edge of ecstasy, as he gave three heavy thrusts into her spent body before stilling against her.

The two desperately tried to catch their breath, as Suki slumped against her partner, Kakyoin pulling his softening cock out of her.

* * *

…

…

…

 _Th-That…That was…_

Suki looked over upon feeling a hand brush her hair out of her face. Kakyoin smiled gently at her.

"Uhm…I think I'm gonna take a quick shower," The girl stammered, pointing to where she knew a bathroom was located, an offshoot of the living quarters.

She carefully maneuvered out of Kakyoin's lap and made her way to the other room, shutting and locking the door behind her. As soon as the door shut, she quietly exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Slowly stepping into the walk-in shower, she turned the water on to its hottest setting and let the warmth wash over her, the glass doors steadily fogging.

Suki did not move. She only closed her eyes as she tilted her head up. Hot droplets formed on her skin as she stood completely still, losing herself in the heavy, groggy feeling the water invited her into.

 _Why…Why do I feel like this…?_

In body, Suki felt utterly pleased by the sexual encounter. Being so close to another person, someone she cared about so much… In a situation where two people could not grow any closer. It felt like a fantasy.

In mind, however, she was conflicted.

 _Nori is…I care about him… So, why…Why don't I want to do something like that with him again?_

Suki reached over to the shelf and grasped the bar of soap sitting atop it. After lathering it in her hands for a few moments, she put the soap down and began to scrub the sweat from her body.

 _He's listened to my troubles…He's helped me learn English…He's given me nothing but love and affection, and, even before that, save for the one thing he apologized for, he showed me respect, and kindness. Someone like him…I only want to make him happy…_

 _If this polygamy thing worked out, I'd be able to be with both him and Jotaro, and Kakyoin would be able to be with the both of us. We'd all be able to be happy, together. But…I'm supposed to feel the same way, the same amount of love for_ both _people, right?_

 _Even then…I can't just assume that Jotaro feels the same way…_

 _Even then... Something about this... It just feels... off..._

 _Nori's so sweet. This journey has been so stressful, and I think that level of tension will only increase as we get closer to the destination…The last thing I want to do is create more stress by denying his affections, plus, I couldn't stand to see him sad…_

 _At the same time…I feel like_ not _telling him how I feel about this situation…All of this conflict simmering inside of me…Not being honest with him…Would be unfair to him…I don't want to lead him on like that…_

"Dammit…" Suki thrust her fist into the wall. She winced and spread her palms on the wall. She bowed her head, letting the warm water hit her neck and stream down her hair and back.

"Suki, are you alright? You've been in there for quite a while," Suki heard Kakyoin's voice, muffled by the two doors separating them.

"I'm fine! I'll be out in a bit!" She called back, as she began to rinse the soap from her body.

A few minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her small form. She greeted Kakyoin with a smile, but was surprised at his concerned expression.

"Are…Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine! Why?"

"Your eyes are red…"

"Huh?" Walking back into the bathroom, Suki took in her expression in the mirror.

Sure enough, her eyes were red and puffy. Not only that, but her nose felt stopped up, and she felt the distinct dull pangs of the beginning of a headache.

 _Was I…Was I crying…?_ Suki wondered, pressing a hand to her cheek as she continued to stare, _looks like I cried pretty hard, too…_

With a shake of her head, Suki turned to Kakyoin with a smile.

"It's probably just allergies or something."

"Oh. Alright then."

With that, she walked out of the room, leaving the honor student to use the shower for himself.

After redressing, Suki laid back down on the bed, accompanied by nothing but the sound of the shower running. She let her eyes close, her last sight being the blank ceiling, before she felt something touch her arm. Opening her eyes, she saw Knight of Cups staring at her. The Stand's eyes were filled with concern. The girl gave a sheepish grin.

"Didn't expect we'd run into something like this when we left, huh?"

Knight floated over and rested her hand on her user's head. Suki huffed a small laugh.

"I haven't forgotten why we're out here, Knight. Don't worry about that," She sighed as she turned her eyes back to the ceiling, "I just wish I could make everyone happy. The people I knew before…And the people I knew now."

Her attention was drawn to the bathroom as she heard the door open. Kakyoin gently padded out, a towel wrapped about his waist. Upon making eye contact, Knight waved enthusiastically. The honor student chuckled as he approached his clothes on the floor.

"Hello there, Knight," Turning his gaze to Suki, he smiled softly, "And hello, you."

"Nori…" Suki rolled onto her side, facing the bedside table as the honor student dressed himself. She reached to the table and readjusted the lights, banishing the dimness from earlier, and took her pendant in hand. As she readjusted her necklace, she stared at the softly glowing star shape. She turned the knob on the back, allowing a gentle tune to play.

"What a pretty tune," Kakyoin mused, buttoning up his school jacket.

Suki's eyes softened, the nostalgic tune allowing old memories to resurface.

"Yeah…"

Replacing her necklace back in her shirt, she patted the area in front of her, coaxing her ally to lay down next to her. He did so, situating himself so he lay face-to-face with the girl. Suki nestled closer, resting her head against his chest, as he brought an arm to wrap across her back, his hand weaving through her hair. He absentmindedly brushed through her locks as he voiced a question.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Heh, you're always worrying," Suki murmured.

 _He's warm. I feel safe, like this…_

"I want to ask you something, though…" She started.

 _I don't feel…An_ urge _to do more than this, though…_

"What is it?"

 _Did I think all of this would go somewhere? Was what I felt yesterday in the desert…What was that, then?_

"What do you want to do? After all of this is over, I mean."

Kakyoin blinked, clearly not expecting this question. After a moment of thought, he spoke.

"Well, I haven't really thought about it…I'll finish school, go to college…I had those plans in mind before I left on this journey…No, there's one thing I'm sure of."

He brought his hand down to Suki's cheek. She looked up at him as he spoke.

"I want to see what it's like…To be with someone who truly understands me…Without fearing for my life. I want to spend time with you, Jotaro, and everyone else. I want to live the rest of my life, just like that."

"Nori…"

Suki embraced him, burying her face in his chest. He smiled and closed his eyes, returning the hug.

 _Whether…Whether I want to be his lover or not…_ She thought.

… _I do love him._

* * *

Saying Jotaro was angry at this point in time…would be an overstatement.

As Abdul drove the submarine, and Polnareff and Joseph spoke avidly in front of him, Jotaro suddenly felt an urge to smoke. Removing a cigarette from his box and placing it between his lips, his tongue involuntarily reached to touch it as he in turn reached for his lighter. No doubt, it was an involuntary reaction to taste the usual bitterness.

There was no such bitterness lying in the paper roll.

Instead what greeted his tongue was a sickly sweetness, which could only be attributable to…

 _Chocolate…_ The delinquent thought, _she didn't…_

Taking the cigarette out of his mouth, he examined the end of the paper roll in comparison to the rest of the "cigarettes" in his box.

 _She fucking did._

"Goddammit…" He swore under his breath, putting the sweet back into the box and replacing it in his pocket. He stood and began to walk toward the door, directing his voice behind him, "I'll be back later."

"Oh…Okay, Jotaro," Polnareff responded, as the door slammed shut. Turning to the other two men, he asked, "What's up with him?"

Joseph shrugged.

The delinquent had spent the past thirty minutes looking around for the cigarette thief, with no results. He knew she and Kakyoin had left earlier to look around the vessel a bit more, but that had been a little over two hours ago. They could've been anywhere on the submarine by that point. Not checking every room for leisure purposes proved to speed up the trip through substantially, as Jotaro eventually arrived in the living quarters. The first two rooms held no sign of life, and no sign of having been used; however, he found the third room held the culprit he had been searching for. As he opened the heavy door into the room, a familiar voice reached his ears. Upon listening closer, he realized that the person was not speaking.

She was singing.

 _I can't remember the smile that you gave to me_

 _I have no way to tell you "don't walk away"_

Jotaro opened the door further. Sure enough, there was Suki, her back turned to the door.

 _Still sorrow keeps on tying me but my soul wants to get freed_

 _Let my heart loose from a chain_

And, sure enough, she was the source of the song. Her eyes were closed as she maneuvered her hands in motions that attracted the eye, but didn't detract from the subtle movements of her hips, the one-two-step rhythm she had set for herself. After hearing her explanation for the source of her dance moves, Jotaro could easily see just how much influence her moves had received.

She danced like a pop idol.

 _Those long days passing by from that door_

 _Like frail snow they slowly disappear_

 _Finding ways through the favorite thoughts_

 _Cocoon me in floaty bliss_

Strangely, the delinquent felt something similar to the pulsing adrenaline that coursed through him when he watched her dance before; however, this feeling was more powerful at this particular point in time. The man felt he could take on an entire army without breaking a sweat.

 _Is this because she's singing?_ He wondered.

 _Those long days passing by from that door_

 _Like frail snow they slowly disappear_

 _Finding ways through the favorite friends_

 _Filling me with warm embrace_

Raising a hand up as though to touch the sky and bringing it back down to press over her heart, punctuating each syllable of the last word with a shake of her hips, Suki suddenly opened her eyes, and finally noticed that she had an audience. She did a double-take as she looked to the door, her expression creasing as she pulled her earbuds out.

"Would it _kill_ you to learn how to knock?" She expressed pointedly.

"You wouldn't have heard me," Jotaro replied.

Suki sighed with a roll of her eyes.

 _I'm just glad I changed rooms…_ Suki thought, _the smell in the other living quarters would've been…awkward to explain…_

"Fine. Fair enough," She muttered, turning off the tape deck and placing it back in her bag sitting on the floor.

Jotaro cast a cursory glance about the room.

"Where's Kakyoin?"

"Polnareff came by earlier. He said Mr. Joestar wanted to talk to him, so I've been practicing since."

"Did he knock first?"

"Okay, I know this time getting worked up over the knocking is petty," Suki explained with a sigh, "I just don't like people watching me practice. It's…embarrassing."

…

"What song was that?"

"…Heaven. Dancing All Night put it out while my brother was away. I'm just lucky Minaj managed to get it on tape," Suki explained, as she sat down on the bed, running a hand through her hair, "I wanted to perform for him as a welcome-home gift. He always said he loved watching me dance."

"You didn't sing?"

"I mean…I did, for a while, but he never commented about it. I could tell it bothered him, though," She grinned sheepishly, "I guess I must sound like a banshee or something, heh heh."

The comment sat in the air for a bit, as Jotaro walked over and sat beside the girl on the bed. He finally responded after pulling his hat down low.

"That's his loss, then."

"What, that I sound like a banshee?" Suki asked with a laugh.

"No, that he won't let you sing. You're no banshee, you're a whale."

"I'm…I'm a whale?" Suki asked, turning to her friend.

Jotaro sighed.

"That sounded stupid, I get it," He muttered.

"No, I mean, what would inspire you to say that? I've heard people's voices described as siren's songs, or what have you, but, that's a new comparison."

"They…They just sound really nice."

The girl saw his piercing gaze soften somewhat. Clearly, this was a topic he wanted to talk about more.

"Tell me more about fish."

"It'd only bore you," He denied glibly.

"Well, we won't know unless you start talking, will we?" Suki said with a grin.

Jotaro made eye contact with the girl. Her gaze was sincere. With a half-hearted sigh, he began to explain what he knew.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Joestar?" Kakyoin asked, walking into the control room.

He had stirred at a knock on the door, back in the living quarters. Opening the door, he saw Polnareff, who mentioned that Mr. Joestar wanted to see him. After some back-and-forth about how Polnareff _really_ wasn't interrupting anything, Kakyoin turned back to Suki with a reassuring smile, telling her he would be back later, before exiting the room and following the Frenchman down the hall.

"I did. Come on, sit down," The old man gestured to the seat at the table across from him. Somewhat daunted by the out-of-character formal behavior, Kakyoin sat at the table.

"Is…there a problem?" He asked carefully.

"Indeed, there is, Kakyoin. And that comes down to a question…" The old man leaned forward, his elbows on the table, as Polnareff sat down beside him.

Kakyoin swallowed thickly.

Mr. Joestar took in a breath.

He finally asked his question.

"How many condoms are left in your pocket?"

…

"Wh…What…?" The honor student was clearly taken aback, "Mr. Joestar…I don't…"

"Wait, Mr. Joestar, I thought _I_ was gonna be the one to ask him that?" Polnareff asked, a cheeky grin growing on his face.

"Well, this was _my_ idea first," Joseph responded.

"What gave you that idea?! I thought I caught on to what they were up to first!"

Abdul sighed.

"Wait, so…You _both_ were in on this?" Kakyoin asked.

"Not at first. I debated sitting down and talking with you before this happened, but Polnareff dissuaded me. He said you both were old enough to know what you were doing."

"How did you even _know_? These are just baseless assumptions," Kakyoin claimed, folding his arms.

Polnareff and Joseph exchanged a skeptical look.

"How baseless is seeing how you two have been acting around each other?" The old man asked.

Kakyoin pursed his lips.

"You two were not exactly being subtle," Abdul added from the pilot's seat.

"Mr. Abdul, _please_ tell me you weren't involved in this, too?" The honor student asked.

"I was _not_. I was strongly against such encouragement."

"But, you were against discouragement, too, Abdul," Polnareff pointed out.

"I was _against_ involving myself in affairs that were not my business. Besides, I did not wish to entertain the thought of them acting like animals, even with the gift of free time we have received."

Polnareff sighed.

"We just wanted to make sure you two were safe, Kakyoin. You two are a cute couple, and if you wanted to go further, we wanted to make sure you were prepared for that," The Frenchman smiled.

Joseph nodded.

"That is surprisingly mature; however, no one asked for this," Abdul scolded.

"We were just trying to look out for them, Abdul!" Mr. Joestar defended.

"What do you mean ' _surprisingly_ mature'?" Polnareff questioned.

As the three men bickered in front of him, Kakyoin couldn't restrain a small chuckle.

 _I've…never felt so at home…_

* * *

"No, you're lying to me," Suki spoke with a laugh.

"I'm telling the truth," Jotaro responded.

"You're telling me that there's a species of jellyfish that can age _backwards_?"

"If it comes under physical damage or other stress, it transforms its cells into a younger state."

"Might as well give this fish a subtitle. _Turritopsis dohrnii_ : The Time-Traveling Jellyfish."

"Jellyfish aren't fish."

"Say _what_?"

"Neither are starfish."

Suki held her head in her hands, an exaggerated betrayed expression gracing her features.

"I've been lied to."

"Yeah, we all have."

Suki laughed.

"Man, I haven't laughed that hard in a while," Suki reflected, wiping a tear from her eye, "You seem to be enjoying yourself, too, Jotaro."

"What would give you that idea?"

"I don't see you smile that often."

 _Not only that, but his eyes have lit up like a kid on Christmas morning,_ Suki thought _, dammit, that's so cute…_

"Oh, right," the girl piped up, remembering something, "What made you come looking for me? Or were you just looking around?"

Jotaro's eyebrows raised minutely, as though he had just remembered himself. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his box of cigarettes.

"This was your doing, wasn't it?"

"What makes you think _I_ did anything?" Suki asked nonchalantly.

"I don't know anyone else who eats chocolate that looks like cigarettes. That kind of narrows my options."

"Heh heh, you sure are perceptive," She smirked, inwardly remembering that moment in the exit chamber that she had decided to take advantage of, "But not perceptive enough, if someone like me could pickpocket you without you noticing."

…

Suki sighed.

"Alright, fine," She resigned, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the box of real cigarettes that he had been looking for.

Jotaro looked from the box he held to the one she offered.

"How did you get them to look so similar?"

"I didn't. I bought the same pack you had, replaced the cigarettes with the chocolate, leaving out as many as I thought you had smoked, and swapped the boxes when you weren't looking," The girl's smile grew nostalgic as she continued, "I'd pull that trick on my brother all the time."

Of course, Jotaro knew as soon as the chocolate touched his tongue who the culprit was, but he wasn't angry. At most, he was mildly irritated.

"It's none of your damn business."

"I know, I know," Suki handed over the box and scratched the back of her neck, "Smoking kills your lungs though."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"I'm serious!" The girl's voice grew soft, "I just…I care about you. I know it's not my business, but if it means letting you live longer, I want to do what I can."

Jotaro huffed a small sigh.

"It's…fine."

…

Suki yawned.

"Tired?"

"Yeah."

"How about I read you a bedtime story? It's called 'Go the Fuck to Sleep.'"

"Pfft, like a story like that actually exists."

"…You look better, though."

Suki tilted her head.

"In what way?" She asked.

"You just look like you feel better."

 _Vague…_ Suki mused, _but, I_ do _feel better. Somehow, even with all of the stress that's been following us between then and now, I feel like…my load has been lightened…_

The girl pushed her hair back behind her right ear, showing Jotaro the bruise from days past.

"How's the bruise looking?"

The thug leaned forward, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the mark.

It was considerably duller than it had been before.

"Give it a couple more days, and I think it'll be completely gone by then."

"Really?" Suki asked, an excited glint in her eye, as she let her hair fall back into place.

He nodded.

"That's good," She sighed.

…

"Hey, Jotaro…?"

"Hm?"

"Regarding this issue…could I ask you to do _one_ more thing for me?"

…

"Uhm, could you…" She brushed her hair back behind her ear once more, "Could you bite me here? I think…what you did last time really helped, so if we replicate the last thing that happened to me…"

After a while, Jotaro sighed.

 _She won't ask me to do this again after this,_ he thought, _I won't have to worry about this again._

With that thought, the thug began to move. Suki stayed perfectly still as he moved closer to her. Jotaro darted his eyes to the closed eyes of the girl before turning his attention back to her slightly red ear. As he approached the thin flesh, the girl shivered, feeling his hot breath on the sensitive shell.

He took her ear between his teeth and bit down.

Suki gasped, her eyes flying open, and her breathing picking up. Jotaro immediately retreated, allowing the girl some space, as she placed a hand on her chest and slowly steadied her breathing.

 _"Hmm, hmm…I wonder…Will you be so tough for so long…?"_

 _No…You're not… in control…_

After a moment, Jotaro stood and began to walk towards the door.

 _I'm…in control…I'm in control…I'm in control._

The delinquent was stopped by a weight wrapping around his arm. Turning to look behind him, he saw Suki, clinging closely to him.

She tightened her grip on his arm, as if he would disappear if she let go.

The girl looked up, locking eyes with Jotaro.

Her expression shifted from anxiety to surprise, then embarrassment.

Slowly, she released her grip on his arm, stepping back.

She cast her eyes to any place besides those cold blue eyes, that she was certain were judging her clinginess.

Her cheeks heated, as she pinched her lip between her teeth.

…

 _If it's honesty she wants, it's honesty she'll get._

Jotaro stepped forward.

…

He tilted Suki's chin up with a crooked finger.

…

She stared up at him

…

Jotaro leaned down.

He pressed his lips to hers.

Suki's eyes widened.

…

…

Jotaro finally pulled away.

Her expression remained shocked, her face completely flushed.

He sighed.

"Good grief, do I have to-"

Suki responded by grabbing the collar of his jacket and yanking him back down to her, smashing her lips against his.

She could feel his teeth through the thin skin of his mouth, with how rough her gesture was, but she didn't care.

She just wanted her end of the message to make it through.

…

...

Suki pulled back.

She smiled warmly up at him.

She knew there weren't many occasions where she saw this man happy, but she was pleased to see that she had caused one, as he subtly returned the gesture.

The girl wrapped her arms around Jotaro.

She remembered how he felt about physical contact, so a minute fear of him keeping his distance did occur to her.

Her fears were dispelled when, after a moment of being surprisingly unsure of where to place his hands, he sighed and wrapped his arms around her.

She could feel his chest rise and fall under her head.

She could hear his heart thumping in time to a rhythm only he marched to.

She could feel his body heat seeping into her pores, warming her like a furnace.

"I'm so happy…" She murmured, almost too quiet for him to hear.

She closed her eyes.

…

…

…

"Are you gonna let go now?"

…

"Suki?"

…

"Hey," Jotaro placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a small shake.

Her head lolled to the side, her eyes still shut, as her placid expression squeezed slightly in disturbance, before reverting.

"Can you hear me?"

…

No response.

 _She fell asleep,_ Jotaro thought, _standing up…_

Glancing at the bed across the room, he sighed.

 _Well, you're not sleeping on the floor._

After unhooking her arms from his back, he picked her up and walked over to the bed. He laid her head on the pillow.

"Jo~ta~ro…"

He looked at her.

Her eyes were still shut, as she breathed quietly.

 _Must be dreaming._

Jotaro attempted to move back, but was stopped by a familiar heavy feeling clutching his arm.

His left arm was being held hostage by Suki.

He tried to maneuver his arm out of her grasp, but she retaliated by shifting her grip further up to his just above his elbow and roughly pulling down.

She somehow managed to make him lose his balance, as he steadied himself with his other arm to avoid falling on her.

"Are you actually asleep?"

…

No response.

Jotaro sighed.

"Give me a break…"

He laid on his back next to the girl.

She seemed to be unconsciously aware of his proximity, as she moved in closer, wrapping her arms tightly around his upper arm and burying her head in his shoulder.

Jotaro looked at Suki, observing her face as she slept. She was utterly peaceful.

Slowly, the delinquent brought his other hand up and brushed her hair out of her face.

Her lips turned up groggily, as she reached down and intertwined her fingers with the hand connected to the arm she held.

The corners of Jotaro's mouth turned up almost microscopically.

 _Maybe this isn't so bad._

* * *

A knock on the metal door roused Suki out of her slumber.

What greeted her as she woke was obvious warmth. It was impossible to ignore, but it was comfortable, and not suffocating.

As she tried to move, she realized that she couldn't move away.

She had thought she had fallen asleep while the lights were on, but now her eyes were forced to adjust to darkness.

What she discovered was causing her immobility was Jotaro's arm, wrapped about her torso.

With how close she was, she could see his brow was unfurrowed, as he breathed softly through his nose.

Suki smiled and nuzzled in closer.

 _Maybe I was just-_

Another insistent knock.

… _imagining things._

She sighed.

"Jotaro…Hey, _Jotaro_ ," She called quietly. She pressed her hands against his chest, trying to distance herself from him.

He grumbled sleepily and tightened his grip on the girl, pulling her back in, pinning her arms between their torsos.

 _Well, great, now my_ arms _are stuck,_ she thought with a roll of her eyes.

" _Jotaro…_ " She whined, futilely attempting to wiggle out of his iron grip.

For some reason, the man decided to roll over, onto his back, and onto his right side. Unfortunately, the two were so close to the edge of the bed that gravity pulled them both onto the floor. Suki was completely pinned under Jotaro, as his eyes flew open from the impact. His blue eyes darted from the floor to Suki to the bed and back again, as he tried to obtain a handle on his surroundings.

"Jotaro… _Please…_ " Suki wheezed, desperately trying to breathe.

Without a word, Jotaro scrambled off of Suki, releasing her and pushing himself up off of the floor. The girl panted heavily as air rushed back into her lungs.

"Sorry," he muttered, casting his eyes away.

As Suki regained her composure, she grinned impishly.

"You know, if I could die any way, I could probably suffocate in your chest, and I would be _grateful_."

Jotaro's previously concerned expression shifted as he sighed.

"You sure say some weird shit sometimes."

"In this group of people, I'm pretty sure that's just a regular occurrence."

A third knock.

"Well, I say either do something or kindly get off," Suki spoke with a smirk, "We have a guest, after all."

Jotaro paused, examining their positioning, as Suki watched his observant blue eyes scan up and down.

"What's it-Mmph!" Suki's mouth was shut by force by Jotaro's.

 _I guess he chose option A._

She felt large hands grasp her wrists, pinning her arms to the floor as Jotaro tilted his head, deepening the lip-lock.

"Nn, mngh!" Suki squirmed uncomfortably under the man's weight.

He immediately let go of her wrists and pulled back, looking her up and down.

"Shit, I didn't-"

Suki shook her head.

"Sorry, that was my fault. It was just a little fit."

"I shouldn't do that, though."

"But, I want you to pin me down!"

…

Suki covered her face with her hands.

"Agh, that-that came out wrong…I-I mean, it _didn't_ but-!"

Jotaro pulled her hands away from her face. She cast her eyes away as her face flushed red.

"I think…I might want you to be a bit rough…"

…

He pinned her wrists down again.

"Like this?"

Suki swallowed thickly, as she felt her breathing pick up. Their faces inches apart, the feeling of his heavy hands wrapped around her wrists, his hulking frame barricading her smaller form in. She felt so overwhelmed, and yet, she couldn't help a shiver running down her spine, her legs rubbing together on instinct.

"Yeah…l-like that."

Jotaro leaned down and pressed his lips to hers again. Suki felt her face heat up, as the sounds of their mouths moving together seemed to bounce off the walls of the living quarters. His purses of the mouth were firm, but a bit stiff; however, this was a mere dull observation in the back of Suki's mind as she lost herself in a wash of unending heat coursing through her veins.

A fourth knock finally echoed through the room, followed by a voice.

"Are you two alright? I heard some loud noises…"

Kakyoin was at the door.

Jotaro pulled away, his face glowing red in the darkness.

"W-We should…" Suki started.

"Yeah."

He stood up, offering a hand to Suki as she sat up. She gladly took it and made her way to the door.

Opening the door, her eyes stung slightly at the difference in lighting between the corridor and the room. Kakyoin stood a few feet away, looking out the window across from the room. He turned upon hearing the door open, smiling at Suki's appearance.

"There you are," His eyes flicked to the delinquent standing behind her, his smile keeping, "And Jotaro's with you, too. That's good."

"Is something wrong, Kakyoin?" Jotaro asked.

"Abdul said we're about to arrive in Africa! He wants all of us to get back together."

"That's great news!" Suki expressed with a smile, "I guess Whit really did help our undersea journey go off without a hitch!"

"Well, let's go, then," Jotaro said, as he took the lead in heading down the hallway.

Suki turned around to make sure the honor student was following them. He was smiling, but there was a form of underlying wistfulness to his expression.

"Nori?" Suki asked with a tilt of her head, "Are you okay?"

"Hm?" Kakyoin seemed to snap out of whatever train of thought he had been traversing, as he looked somewhat surprised before turning to the girl, "Oh, I'm fine. There's no need to worry."

After a small pause, Suki smiled up at him and continued to walk forward, stepping in time with the footfalls of her companions.

* * *

"Near this coral reef, there is an underwater tunnel formed by erosion," Abdul explained, pointing at the sea on a map of Africa, near a peninsula and several islands, near the southeastern point of Egypt, "The exit is 200 meters inland. Let us surface there."

"So, we've finally made it to Egypt," Joseph mused.

"Yeah, finally," Polnareff sighed.

"Egypt, huh…" Jotaro thought aloud.

"Hm," Kakyoin hummed.

"Yes, finally," Abdul agreed.

"I'm…almost home," Suki spoke in wonder.

 _I'm…not sure whether to smile or cry._

"Thank you," Suki spoke quietly, "For helping me get this far. I'm…really glad I met all of you."

"We're glad we met you, too, Suki," Kakyoin responded with a gentle smile.

"Yeah! Where would we be without your support?" Polnareff piped up.

Mr. Joestar and Abdul gave her big smiles.

Even Jotaro couldn't help the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

Polnareff laughed softly.

"What's wrong?" Abdul asked.

"Nah, I'm just really happy," The Frenchman admitted, wearing a small smile typically uncharacteristic of him, "It's been a while since all six of us were last together."

 _He's right…_ Suki thought, _it_ has _been a while…_

Suki met the eyes of each friend she had made on the journey, clearly seeing the firm resolve in each expression of each ally.

 _Mr. Joestar…_

 _Abdul…_

 _Polnareff…_

 _Kakyoin…_

 _Jotaro…_

Their determinations culminating as one, the group all nodded at once.

 _Dio…We'll take you down!_

* * *

"Wow, the trip through the tunnel was…surprisingly uneventful!" Polnareff exclaimed, as he stepped onto the gritty African sand.

"Yeah, I get the feeling…That something _should_ have happened…Is that just me?" Mr. Joestar asked the group, as he pulled himself out of the exit hatch.

"Let's just be thankful that nothing _did_ happen," Abdul suggested, folding his arms.

Suki grinned, looking around at her group of friends. Out of the corner of her eye, a light began to shine, illuminating the darkness of the night. She turned to her left to see a breathtaking sight, her eyes widening. She pointed out to the horizon, calling everyone's attention to a point in the distance.

"Everyone…Look."

The group turned to look in the same direction.

Peeking up over the sea was the sun. The morning light shined brilliantly along the shifting waves of the Red Sea, glittering and glimmering even more brightly than the stars against the night sky.

"The sun is rising…" Jotaro noted.

"Hm, what timing. Just as we got to Egypt, too," Kakyoin expressed with a smile.

The others in the group came to stand and watch the dawn of the new day arrive.

 _It's…so beautiful…_ Suki marveled.

As the group stood side-by-side, Suki felt a hand intertwine with hers. She could recognize the rough skin rubbing against her palm anywhere. She looked up to see Jotaro staring out at the horizon with the group, a small smile turning up his lips.

 _I swear, every time this man smiles, a puppy is born somewhere,_ Suki thought, as she gently squeezed his hand.

She grinned as she noticed his cheeks redden ever so slightly.

"Anyway, we've finally made it to Egypt," Abdul pointed out. At this point, it seemed less like an instruction to get back on task, and more like a marveled remark, as the group gazed at the stunning sight provided by the landscape.

"Indeed," Joseph agreed, "In a jet, this trip would've taken twenty hours. But it took us thirty days."

"We visited many places," Kakyoin reminisced, "Inside a brain, and even inside a dream."

"A dream? What are you talking about, Kakyoin?" Jotaro asked.

Suki bit her lip, as she inwardly begged everyone not to question further.

"Hey, now. It's morning. Wake up already," Polnareff chattered.

"Oh, right. You guys didn't know about that," Kakyoin dismissed.

 _Smooth, Nori. Real smooth,_ Suki thought with a roll of her eyes and a playful smile, _but, they're right. This certainly has been quite a journey…_

Suki replayed every event that had occurred through her mind, every face she had met...

 _Whit Houston with Look to You…_

 _Forever and Strength…_

 _Anne…_

 _Brent Wilson, "Willy," and Death of a Bachelor…_

 _Minaj…_

 _Soul Sacrifice and The Devil…_

 _Yellow Temperance…_

 _Curt Kobain and Nevermind, alongside his three brothers: Dagro with Bleach, Kristovo with All Acoustically, and little Nirvan with Ever Minded…_

 _Hol Horse and Emperor…_

 _J. Geil's Hanged Man…_

 _Ellelle Cool Jay…Or was it Major Spring?... With Mama SKYO…_

 _Wheel of Fortune…_

 _Bim Cash with Tongue Twister…_

 _Enyaba and Justice…_

 _Steely Dan and The Lovers…_

 _The Sun…_

 _Death 13…_

 _Cameo's Judgment…_

Suki took in a deep breath of the sea-salt laden air.

 _I've never felt more alive._

 _..._

 _..._

… _Wait._

… _Weren't we supposed to see Midler here?_

Suki cast her gaze about.

 _And…for that matter…Where is Whit? Didn't he say he would meet us at the coast?_

As Suki turned around, her eyes caught sight of a person walking towards them, kicking up sand as she walked.

Suki knew this person.

Of course, she would recognize those somewhat childish black curls and those blue eyes, dark as an abyss. She only knew one person who had those features.

"Uh, guys…?" Suki called everyone's attention.

They turned to notice the young woman walking towards them. She seemed a bit older than Suki, age present in her gait and facial features as she approached.

Of course, Suki would recognize the one person who had been entrusted with stitching every fiber into her costume. The costume that, at one point, she had thought she would be wearing until the end of her days.

Everyone took a defensive stance, summoning their Stands as the person came within several yards of the group. She stopped, as her eyes locked with Suki's.

A name passed Suki's lips, even as she couldn't see any trace of her old friend in those midnight irises.

"Michel…Jackson…"

Michel stood with her hands on her hips, a smile quirking up her lips.

"Michel…Why…Why are you here?" Suki asked, stepping forward, "Did…Did Dio get to you?"

There was no glint in Michel's eyes. Only a month had passed since Suki had seen her friend; she didn't expect her friend's loyalty to Dio to be firm enough at this point that she would train an involuntary reaction out of herself, but, after what she had seen, she refused to take a chance on this.

"Michel, please…" Suki begged, "Please, tell me Dio didn't get to you! I don't…I don't want to fight another friend!"

She waited.

But no response came.

"Please, at least say _something_!"

…

…

…

"You know what I like?"

The young woman finally spoke.

She had asked a question.

"Submarines."

And she answered her own question.

"Wh…What?" Suki asked.

Michel cast her gaze up to the large yellow vessel the group had just exited.

"Like that one. That's a nice one."

"What the hell are you planning?" Jotaro asked, stepping forward himself.

"Me? I'm not planning _anything_ …" Michel clasped her hands behind her back coyly as she didn't even turn to look at the questioner, "But, like I said, that's one goodass-looking submarine. Holy _shit._ I'd take it for myself if I could."

Michel's grin grew manic as she turned back to the group.

"As a matter of fact…I think I will!"

With that, she spread her arms out in front of her, facing her palms toward the undersea vessel.

…

The submarine began to lift up out of the water, as though being carried by a crane.

Except there was no crane in sight.

"Oh, my God!"

"What?!"

"How the hell…?!"

A large shadow cast over the group, as the submarine only rose further into the sky.

"Whoopsie," Michel spoke nonchalantly.

As though the spell on it had been broken, the submarine began to fall towards the party, the yellow object growing larger and larger as it approached.

 _I…I need to…run!_

Despite this thought, Suki felt paralyzed. Not by fear, but by some otherworldly force.

Her allies looked to be immobilized by the same force, as they could do nothing but stand and stare as the colossal vehicle came hurtling towards them.

 _No…_

"No! It can't end! Not like this!" She cried.

The submarine came in closer.

" _I refuse!_ "

That was the last cry of resolve occupying Suki's mind and voice, as everything went dark.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen – Walk Like an Egyptian – Part 2

-END—

-TO BE CONTINUED-

* * *

 **I find it interesting just how much one's opinion of a character can change while writing from their perspective, and the perspectives of those who interact with that character. Emotions fluctuate, peaking and troughing as the story continues and holy crap I should stop right here, I did not mean to wax poetic on you guys. XD**

 **On another note, I actually made a couple of references to other works in this chapter, both in the same scene. One is a reference to lawrencetheshark's A Hope in Hell on Ao3, which is a short oneshot smut between Jotaro and Kakyoin. No shame, plus it's pretty well written, and would recommend if you enjoy that pairing.**

 **The second is a reference to one of my all-time-favorite creations, known as A Long Way to Fall by prospectkiss, right here on this website, found in the Ace Attorney fandom. It's a lovingly-crafted narrative following the development of the relationship between Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright, as Edgeworth is subject to the increasing scale of harassment forced onto him by a stalker who becomes obsessed with him after a one-night stand. The canon characters are accurately written, as if they've been pulled straight from the games, and the original characters that are introduced add their own interesting dynamics to the mix. It might not be your thing, if you're not a fan of the Edgeworth/Phoenix pairing, but I still recommend at least giving it a try, it's a well-written story that pulls you in and doesn't let go until the final pages. It comes highly, _highly_ recommended from me.**

 **As for when the next part of this chapter (the last part, I promise) will come out, I am dead set on getting it out before New Year's. I really don't want to keep you waiting on this cliffhanger for too long because Christ, just imagine Roundabout starting at the very end of this scene, even though the third part of JoJo didn't have Roundabout as the ending theme (Rest in Peace, beautiful ending theme). Thank you all so much for keeping up with the story up to this point, and I'll hope you guys are excited for the finale of the first half of this story!**

 **-BlueBow**


	18. Chapter 15 - Walk Like an Egyptian Pt 3

Chapter Fifteen – Walk Like an Egyptian - Part 3

 **WARNING: This story contains instances of graphic violence, gore, coarse language, and sexual content. A warning will exist at the beginning of a chapter containing anything explicit, and will be sectioned off by a line and another warning. You have been warned.**

 **WARNING**

 **No sex happens, but there is a scene containing large amounts of body horror, later down the line.**

 ***inhale* Guys. It's finally here. It's a monster of a chapter, but it's finally done, and ready for you to read. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"…Nngh…?"

Suki grumbled sleepily, as the faint sound of a woman humming accompanied the rhythm of metal making contact with wood. Prying her eyes open was a chore, as a warmth that wafted through the air and floated over her skin encompassed her in what felt like several layers of blankets. The ground beneath her felt hard, like a tile floor; and yet, her body felt utterly rigid against the usual slickness of such a surface. The distinct aroma of udon and vegetables drifted up her nose, as she couldn't help savoring the scent.

 _I don't…feel like moving…_

The sound of a door slamming open reached her ears.

"I'm home!"

 _That's…my voice…_

Looking up from her seat on the floor, Suki spotted her mother, standing at the kitchen counter in what appeared to be her house. Ms. Kanao raised her head from her work at the sudden sound, as she wiped her hands off on a dish towel she kept by the cutting board and walked out of the room. Through the window that looked into the kitchen from the living room, she could see her mother's warm smile.

"Welcome home, Suki."

"…Hi, Mama," Suki's voice replied.

Ms. Kanao disappeared from view, walking over to the front door to speak with Suki. Even being unwilling to strain her ears, she caught the distanced voices conversing. Suki smiled as she recalled the conversation.

"Have you gotten taller?"

"Oh, well, uhm…"

"Well, come on in, dear! I guess I'll be making dinner for two tonight then."

The girl next to Ms. Kanao looked so small to Suki. And yet, she could easily tell that she was viewing herself from a different perspective.

 _That's…me…_

Ms. Kanao turned to the cutting board and resumed her work, cutting up cabbage leaves.

"You look well enough. I assume he's been taking good care of you, then?"

 _This is…_

"Well, he does need his servants to be in good health to serve him."

 _Why am I seeing this now…? Right in front of me…?_

Ms. Kanao only nodded and continued cutting the vegetables.

"So, did you know I was coming home tonight, or…?"

 _What…was I doing…?_

Ms. Kanao looked up at Suki. By the tone of her voice, Suki could easily tell that her mother was smirking as she spoke up.

"I was craving sukiyaki, but I would've made it for you regardless."

 _I was doing something, but…_

"Y-you wouldn't have to do that, Mama…"

 _I can't…remember…_

Her mother turned back to the greens as she spoke, "I know you're working hard for us, sweetheart. It's the least I could do."

"…I'm only staying overnight."

The sound of sharp metal on wood stopped abruptly, but Ms. Kanao did not look up at her daughter.

"Dio said… that Big Bro was just out doing fieldwork, but after he's been gone this long with no word back…The Joestars are on their way to take Dio down as we speak. I'm going to join them and get the answers I want out of him."

 _Why should…I bother…?_

"And what if he doesn't give you those answers?"

"Y-you don't know that he won't."

"Suki." Ms. Kanao finally looked up at her daughter, "You remember that story Great Grandma Ellie told you, about her encounter with Dio, and all the other stories she told about him?... I'm as torn up as you are, about Kyuu leaving with no word back. But sometimes, you just have to accept that people _will_ walk out of your life, without looking back."

"But, Mom, he wouldn't have left because he wanted to! I know he wouldn't have chosen to leave us because… because he loves us! This is different from when Dad and Aoi left, they _wanted_ to live somewhere else!"

A long pause ensued.

Then, her mother laid the knife down and pressed her hands flat on either side of the wood.

 _Oh, right…_

"It…wasn't just that."

 _I…dredged that up…_

The Suki on the other side of the counter tilted her head to the side, confused.

"I…I never told you all of what happened." Ms. Kanao closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath.

 _Made her sad…_

"Have you ever thought about why Kyuu looks so different from you and Aoi? ...That boy… He's your _half_ -brother. He isn't the son of your father."

Ms. Kanao took another deep breath.

 _But, worst of all…_

"Steve left…because I betrayed him…And he took Aoi with him…" Her mother's voice wavered as she continued to explain, "We had tried to work past my mistake. We had you both, but that was never enough to fix what I'd done. Eventually, he just…couldn't live with me anymore. So, he left." She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands.

"I just…don't want to be left alone…"

 _I made her worry…that she'd lose someone else…_

Neither of them spoke. The heaviness of the silence bore down on them both, like a thick cloak. After a few moments of contemplation, Suki rose from her seat and came around the counter to her mother, placing one hand over hers.

"Mom, I'm going to bring Kyuu back. I'll bring him back, and then we can go back to how we were living before Dio came back. I'm not going to leave you alone. I'm going…on an errand, and I'll be back."

Ms. Kanao sniffled before responding, not meeting her daughter's eyes.

"I don't care what I've said. You shouldn't want to associate with someone who…someone who threw her husband's heart away like it was trash. I don't want anyone else to leave, but I've managed fine on my own."

Suki stood silent for a moment, contemplating what her mother had done.

"Mama, I know you had sex with another man. You can't change that… But are you really sorry about what you did?"

"Of course. I regret what I did every day since it happened."

"Then, I think that's all you can do. It was an honest mistake, and if you're really sorry about it… then I forgive you."

Ms. Kanao finally looked at her daughter. After a moment, Suki's mother pulled her daughter into a tight hug, as she spoke her next, painful words.

"I know you can take care of yourself. You are a mature, young woman… Just promise me you'll come home safe."

"Of course, Mama. I... I promise."

As Suki listened to the succeeding conversation between her mother and herself, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, only one thought occupying her mind as she surrendered herself to the warm embrace of sleep.

 _What's the point of fighting…if I'll only keep hurting people…?_

* * *

"…Nngh…?"

Suki grumbled sleepily, as the faint sound of a woman humming accompanied the rhythm of metal making contact with wood. Prying her eyes open was a chore, as a warmth that wafted through the air and floated over her skin encompassed her in what felt like several layers of blankets. The ground beneath her felt hard, like a tile floor; and yet, her body felt utterly rigid against the usual slickness of such a surface. The distinct aroma of udon and vegetables drifted up her nose, as she couldn't help savoring the scent.

 _This…This just…_

The sound of a door slamming open reached her ears.

"I'm home!"

Looking up from her seat on the floor, Suki spotted her mother, standing at the kitchen counter in what appeared to be her house. Ms. Kanao raised her head from her work at the sudden sound, as she wiped her hands off on a dish towel she kept by the cutting board and walked out of the room. Through the window that looked into the kitchen from the living room, she could see her mother's warm smile.

"Welcome home, Suki."

 _Oh…this is happening again…_

Suki closed her eyes as she dully listened to the voices of herself and her mother.

 _Must be dreaming…Must be…dreaming…_

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

"…ant end!...is!"

Faint cries of desperation reached her ears.

"No! It…! Not…this!"

The voice sounded familiar to her.

" _I refuse!_ "

Suki's eyes snapped open.

She recognized her own voice, echoing to her from beyond the space she sat in.

And she remembered.

She remembered everything.

 _Right! I was…We were…Michel came out…And then the submarine flew into the air…And then…!_

She cast her gaze left and right.

 _Where…Where are the others?_

With a tired grunt, she pushed herself up off the floor, despite her body's yearnings to remain still. As she moved to exit the room amidst the replay of her conversation with her mother, a voice spoke to her.

The voice was familiar to her.

And yet, it had been distorted in such a way that it seemed unrecognizable.

"Leaving Mama once again…Leaving her to her woes and worries…Well, that's just like me, isn't it?"

Suki slowly turned around.

She came face-to-face with her own image, like looking in a mirror.

However, this Suki was different from the one standing next to her mother. Or rather, the one that _had_ been standing next to her. Her mother stood as though the conversation between herself and her daughter had been paused, like in a movie; however, the girl that had been reenacting Suki's memories now stood in front of her, staring at her.

This Suki wore the worn blue outfit Michel had made for her. This Suki was crowned with a wreath of lilies woven together. Most strikingly, this Suki grinned at her other with wide-open, white eyes.

This Suki's presence was unsettling.

And yet, her presence was also enticing to the girl, drawing her in unwillingly.

"Come on," The white-eyed girl coaxed, stretching an arm out to the brown-eyed girl, "Don't we care enough about Mama to stay here with her? Or are we gonna go running off on her again?"

The girl's voice sounded as though three of her voices at three separate pitches had been meshed together into one sound.

"'We'?" Suki asked.

"Yes, 'we'. You and me," The lookalike lilted, stepping forward, her hands coyly clasped behind her back, "Because I am you. You… are me. Akizuki Sukiyaki...That's me! And, of course, that's _you_ , too!"

Suki sighed.

"Are we really going to have this conversation? _Again_?"

The lookalike tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean_ , we've been over this," Suki folded her arms and stood up straighter, feeling control over her body and cognitive functions slowly but surely returning to her, "Do I feel bad that I left Mama all alone? Of course, I do. That was really childish of me. But, I'm going to be home soon, and I'll make it up to her then. I'll find my brother, and bring everyone back together as best as I can. That's it."

With that, Suki turned and began to walk out of the room, stepping out of the kitchen into the living room.

"Wait, but I'm not done yet!" The lookalike shouted, chasing after the girl.

Suki continued walking towards the door, firm in her resolve, ignoring the wails of the girl claiming to be her.

"You could at least _show_ that you're a little thankful, you know!"

Suki halted midstride, her hand hovering over the doorknob. The white-eyed girl crept over to the girl at the door, taking her time as she continued to speak. A grin began to widen along her lips.

"You could at least be a _little_ thankful, that that nice group of men gave you an out in the first place."

...

"Wh-What are you…?" Suki asked, not turning back to the girl behind her.

"When Mr. Joestar said 'We believe it would be best for you to not fight Dio,' my God, was _that_ a load off of my shoulders! All that time spent working by Dio's side, and _still_ having no clue what his power is? Who _wouldn't_ be scared?"

Suki turned back to the girl.

"I'm _not_ scared," She stated, clenching her fist, "I _have_ to help fight Dio. The earliest advisor of Dio Brando…I have _his_ blood running through my veins…I need to sever that connection, once and for all. Whit said I would be the key to preventing calamity, and if stopping Dio is part of that, then I'll do it! After all, it's-"

"'For the greater good,' yeah, I _know_ ," The lookalike waved her hand dismissively, "Dio _isn't_ your run-of-the-mill Stand user, but, you knew that already, didn't you? He won't go down like the enemies you've faced so far. Heck, he might even _kill_ you. That's only if he's feeling charitable, though."

Suki's eyes widened.

"The Joestars are even _closer_ to Dio. Wouldn't _their_ word be final about your involvement? Wouldn't you be _so_ relieved, if they told you, 'You don't have to throw yourself at an impossible enemy'? That they _want_ you to 'stay out of trouble' and 'be safe'?"

"I…I…!" Suki looked into the white eyes of her mirror image, "How…How do you…?"

"I already answered that question, didn't I, Idiot? I'm you, and you're me."

The brown-eyed girl shook her head.

"Whether you're me or not…I said it once, and I'll say it again. I'm _not_ scared!"

"Oh, really?"

Suki froze at the voice she heard.

Out of the kitchen stepped the last person she ever wanted to see in her house.

He maneuvered around the counter, as though he had traversed the floors of the abode several times, as though it was _natural_ for him to be there.

It was all but natural for this man…this _monster_ …to be there.

Suki couldn't even summon her voice to make words, as her eyes widened.

 _Dio…_

He strolled toward the girl with an inhuman grace.

"Knowing fear. Mastering fear. Conquering it and making it your own. Such measures lead to the wellspring of courage; however…" A grin dripping with malice spread across the vampire's face, "There is only so much that a meager flea can do to a man."

Dio stopped, standing over Suki as his overwhelming orange eyes bore down on her.

 _He's not…He's not…going to…!_

"Can you convince yourself again? That I _won't_ kill you?"

Suki's breath caught in her throat.

"But…What if I _want_ to…? What if I desire…to do _more_ than that…?"

Dio raised a hand to the girl's head and slowly carded his fingers through her hair, his black nails skating along her scalp. If he put any more pressure behind his fingers, Suki was certain nail and bone would make contact.

"What if I _want_ to do horrible things to you… to the people you hold so near and dear to your pathetic little heart…? How are you going to stop me then, if what you believe and what you see can't possibly mix? What then…Miss Kanao…?"

… _I…I can't…convince myself…_

 _He's going to…He's…going to…going…to…_

" _No! It can't end! Not like this!_ _I refuse!"_

The words echoed in her mind once more, as she recalled the resolve she felt when facing what she thought to be certain death.

"…Right. That's right," Suki said.

Dio didn't even blink.

"I'm scared. I'm scared as hell. Every time I said I wanted to take Dio down, I felt my heart drop into my stomach, and my chest would clench up. 'I'm going to fight Dio!'" Suki laughed weakly, "Nope. I still get that feeling."

Dio's grin slowly faded.

"What are you getting at?"

"I came this far in the first place because I wanted to make people happy. Whether or not my journey ends with you, that's still going to be my goal. If it means saving the lives of my friends…the lives of my family…hundreds, thousands, millions, maybe even billions… if they will be saved from suffering because I was at least a roadblock for you…I'll fight you. Not just because I want to break ties with your advisor, the man who forcibly became my great grandfather…" Suki smiled, a determined glint in her eyes, "But because the power to contribute to saving the world is in my hands. I can't turn away. I'd never forgive myself if I did."

Dio didn't seem to take amusement in this, as he applied more pressure behind his fingers. The girl winced.

"I'm touched by your resolve," He spoke without a note of emotion, "But, what is stopping your mission from ending at this moment in time?"

Suki laughed lightly.

"That's easy. You're not Dio."

His eyebrows raised.

"Oh?"

"I remember this moment. When I left your mansion to come back here to pack, it was daytime. Unless there was a tunnel reaching from your mansion to my house, there's no way you could've made it here."

Dio smiled.

"An intriguing deduction; however, you _do_ remember that this was directly before you met Brando, no? As you might recall, he was lacking a certain accessory that contained the Stand of a certain woman with tunneling abilities. Who says I couldn't create a tunnel?"

"There's no way you'd be able to make it here without my mother knowing."

"But, _you_ made it here without her even noticing. You would still be coated in my 'pheromones' after such a recent visit, wouldn't you? And yet, she was not hidden when you arrived home…"

 _That…is true…_ Suki pursed her lips as she thought, _she seemed a little sickly…Maybe her nose was stopped up…And_ that _prevented her from sensing me…? I mean, that would be weird, but weirder things have happened to me on this trip._

The girl shook her head.

"Even if she couldn't sense the lackeys, who had your pheromones rub off on them, she _would_ notice the source of the pheromones coming her way! It's like trying to ignore cinnamon bun crumbs sitting on the kitchen counter versus cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. You just can't ignore such a smell."

The image of Dio in front of her suddenly grew hazy, slowly fading from view. Suki tilted her head back down upon seeing her mirror image out of the corner of her vision, her head feeling liberated from the suffocating captivity of the vampire's hand. The lookalike was blurred through the foggy image of the monster, her hand placed on where his back once was. As the remnants of Dio's figure dispelled, the white-eyed girl shook her head and sighed.

"Man, and I thought _I_ was the little kid here. Cinnamon rolls? Really?"

Suki merely turned around and walked towards the door.

"I don't have time to deal with you."

She walked over to the door and reached for the knob.

Her hand phased through it.

"Wh-What?"

She tried to grasp the knob once more, but the same event occurred. She heard her mirror image laugh as she turned to face her.

"Having some trouble, buddy?"

"Why can't I get out?"

"You left something important in the kitchen…"

Suki moved to pass her lookalike, but the white-eyed girl stepped into her way and grinned.

"Ah-ah-ah! Not before you get past me!"

"Get out of the way. Then that'll solve both of our problems," Suki spoke curtly, her patience running thin.

"Heheheh, I think the only one having problems here will be you…"

With that, the mirror image of Suki began to emit a ghastly, dark aura. Her eyes glowed as she began to groan. On instinct, Suki stepped back, her back hitting the door as the lookalike took her head in her hands. The lookalike shouted at the sky as her groans increased in volume. Suddenly, the sound of her distorted voice halted, as two white arms sprouted from her open mouth. As the arms scrambled for leverage from the mirror image's body, the lookalike's body shrank like an accordion, as though whatever was inside the lookalike's body was shedding her like a suit.

 _Now's my chance!_

Despite the horrific scene taking place in front of her, Suki took the chance to rush past her collapsing copy. The deflating mirror image reached out for the running girl, but Suki used her momentum to hit the floor in a baseball slide, just skimming the copy's forearm. The girl rose and dashed into the kitchen.

She saw her mother, still frozen at the kitchen counter, her mouth open as though she was going to speak. More importantly for the moment, was Suki's unconscious-looking body sitting against the wall, her body's jaw hanging slack.

 _How did I leave my_ body _behind…? I couldn't see it with my mirror image in the way… She must've planned to keep me from seeing it._

Suki shook her head and rushed over to her body, crouching in front of it.

"Not faaaaaaaair! You broke the ruuuuuuuuules!" She heard her distorted voice whine.

"You call it breaking the rules, I call it leveling the playing field!" Suki responded, as she frantically tried to find a way back into her body. Thinking back to what she just saw, the way _something_ pushed itself out of her mirror image's body, she shuddered. She chanced a glance into her body's mouth, and saw _something_ glowing in her throat.

 _Wait… Is that…?_ Please, _don't tell me that's the only entry and exit point…_

She heard footsteps approaching her location, as she broke out into a cold sweat.

 _Fuck it, I'm not finding any other options!_

With that, she shoved her hand into her body's mouth. Her body did not react for a moment, until Suki suddenly felt herself being vacuumed back into her shell.

 _Ohhhhhh Gooood what the fuuuuu-!_

Suki's eyes snapped open, as she stood up quickly, nearly losing her balance/ She reached to steady herself against the wall. Looking down to the spot where she once sat, she saw nothing seated in its place. Bringing a hand to her face and her body, she sighed in relief.

 _Alright,_ she pumped herself up internally, _I'm back in action! Now, what do I have to deal with?_

What came around the corner, blocking the only way into and out of the kitchen, was what Suki believed to have escaped her copy's body.

What had come out of the copy's body was an androgynous figure with skin as white as a blank sheet of paper. The figure was adorned with nothing but a cage of spider threads weaving together into knots in order to cover the abdomen and a medal hung about the neck. On closer inspection, the medal appeared to be made of leather. The figure had no body parts that would point to being a him or a her. What Suki decided to continue to refer to as her copy, as it had emerged from her copy's body, had long blond locks cascading over its shoulders, adorned by the same crown of lilies her copy had worn. It pulled out two small cymbals, each fitting in the palm of each hand. It smiled widely with empty, white eyes.

"Don't you think it would've been less fun, if you'd fought me while I was weaker, Akizuki?" Suki asked, taking a defensive stance. She formed a watery knife in her hand from the canteen in her bag.

"Hm, hm, maaaaybe…" Akizuki lilted. Taking an offensive stance itself, Akizuki goaded, "Let's dance, shall we?"Suki smirked.

"After you."

Akizuki eagerly surged forward with a wild smile, swinging its arm to deliver a forehanded smack to Suki's cheek. The girl ducked and thrust her knife forward, aiming to hit her copy's torso. Akizuki smoothly sidestepped, allowing the blade to graze the air centimeters away from its abdomen. It swung the cymbal along the slick string to which it was attached, so the instrument rested on the back of its hand, and swung down at Suki's head. The girl caught her mirror image's arm above her head. She pulled back her knife and swung under the arm she held, just as Akizuki's other palm thrust forward. She kicked her feet out and pushed off the lower kitchen cabinets, knocking Akizuki's incoming arm back and propelling herself just far away enough that she was no longer trapped in the corner of the kitchen. Taking this opportunity to escape, Suki rushed for the foyer.

 _I have my body back,_ Suki thought, _Akizuki's keen on keeping me here, so I think I'll win if I can just get out._

What Suki didn't expect was the white-skinned figure to swing through the counter window and skid to a stop just in front of the girl. She grinned.

"Just _try_ that again, I dare you."

Suki took a defensive stance. Akizuki made no motion to move.

 _She's waiting for_ my _move. She has no incentive to take the offensive this time._

Suki rushed forward and aimed to shove her knife into Akizuki's torso. The copy caught the knife with the cymbal, blocking the weapon with the flat metal surface as it swung its other arm to make contact with Suki's side. The girl moved back, the cymbal skating across her stomach as Akizuki curled her arm in. Sliding the cymbal to the back of her hand, she thrust the surface into Suki's gut, forcing the wind out of her. The white figure fluidly stepped to Suki's side, bringing the other cymbal forcefully to the girl's back. An uncomfortable chime rang out, resonating through every nerve in Suki's body, as she instinctively clutched her stomach, coughing up a glob of blood. Akizuki stepped back and clapped the cymbals together. As it did so, a thin sonic wave began to rush toward Suki. She hit the floor, the wave of sonic energy nicking the backs of her shins, leaving long red slits behind. Suki scrambled to get up, just as her copy clanged the instruments together again, the wave hitting the wall and leaving a tall, narrow gouge. Suki turned and stepped back, just as another wave headed in her direction. Quickly sidestepping it, she noticed that the sonic wave was ring-shaped, with the outer rim being an extremely thin circumference around a gaping hole. This observation came just before Akizuki furiously clanged the instruments it held together, much like a monkey toy Suki remembered playing with when she was little.

 _I might have an idea…_

As Suki sharply inhaled and stepped into the gaping hole in the sonic ring, she found her body was carried backward ever so slightly.

 _This might be my ticket out!_

As another ring came towards her, she stepped through the hole of that one, and the next one after, allowing herself to be carried towards the door at a faster and faster rate, as the momentum of the energy waves built on each other. Chancing a nanosecond's glance behind her, she saw the sonic rings cutting into the door, slowly creating a hole in the wood.

 _Okay…I think…!_

When there was only a foot's distance between herself and the door, she turned and aimed her shoulder at the one obstacle between her and the outside and dashed towards it. She felt one more ring of energy cut into her side as the door collapsed beneath her weight, allowing gravity to yank her body to the ground. What she felt as she passed through the door was not air, like she had expected, but what felt like a wall of water, pulling her down onto the ground outside.

* * *

The sun shone down amidst parted clouds. The desert city streets were still littered with puddles from a recent shower. Truly, it was a blessing in such a dry climate.

On this warm afternoon, a young, dark-skinned boy and his two little sisters found themselves playing in one of the deeper puddles with a toy their father had found in a box of old toys he'd had as a child.

"Heheh, do it again, Kyuu! Do it again!" The short-haired girl goaded cheerfully, as her brother opened the top of the toy submarine and began pouring baking soda into it.

"He'll do it again when it's full, Sis," The other girl reminded. She pushed her long, brown braid back over her shoulder, as she couldn't hide a small, excited smile to see the toy in action again.

"I _know_ , Aoi, but I'm _excited_!" The short-haired girl responded.

The boy closed the top and placed the small sea vessel into the puddle. The submarine sank below the surface, as the water rippled around its entry point. After a few moments, the submarine resurfaced, its plastic periscope being the only visible portion of the toy above the water. The brother grinned and raised a fist to his mouth and began to speak, miming a walkie-talkie conversation.

"Ksshh, this is The Starfish. Come in, Mission Control, this is The Starfish, reporting in, do you read me? Over."

The short-haired girl giggled and copied her brother's gesture.

"Ksshh, this is Mission Control, S-619, we read you loud and clear. You're headed straight for a large bed of coral full of fish, please adjust your course. Over."

"Ksshh, how exactly would you suggest I alter my course? Over."

"Ksshh, please turn thirty degrees north to avoid collision. Over."

"Ksshh, negative, Mission Control. The Starfish is currently fleeing an enemy vessel, and needs to find cover. We'll be careful steering through the ecosystem, I promise. Over."

"No, not the poor fishies!" The short-haired girl dropped the act, clambering towards the puddle and reaching for the submarine, just as it submerged once more. Her hand centimeters from where the vessel originally swam, the child sat back on her heels and pouted, as the boy continued with the act.

"Ksshh, I'm sorry to upset you, Mission Control, but this is a necessary course of action. The enemy shouldn't fire at us. They may mess up the ecosystem of the coral reef if they do fire, so there shouldn't be a need to worry there. Over."

"But, Big Bro," The short-haired girl whined, "That's not the point! You might crash into something in there!"

"It's just a game, Suki, relax," Aoi rolled her eyes.

"Mrgh…" Suki grumbled, folding her arms as Kyuu pulled the submarine out of the puddle.

"Sorry, Little Sis," Kyuu apologized, reaching over and patting her head with his free hand, as he shook the submarine free of water, using his shirt to dry the remaining drops, "I didn't mean to make you upset."

"You won't hurt the fishies again?" Suki asked, looking up at her brother as he stood up.

"No, I won't hurt the fishies again," He reassured, holding his hand out to Suki. She took it and pulled herself up, as Aoi rose to her feet on her own.

Kyuu smiled at the two girls, before turning and looking across the street to the front of the tailor shop. He, of course, recognized the local tailor shop. He never had too many opportunities to look inside the shop, since he never got into situations that required aftercare for his clothes. That didn't stop him from recognizing the colorful sign hanging over the family store, which read:

في الخزانة

(In the Closet)

That also did not stop him from recognizing the lonely girl sitting next to the front step.

Her short black ringlets draped her head in a cloak, as her eyes remained downcast, intently focused on her pencil scribbling across the sketchbook she held. She looked to be about as old as Kyuu, perhaps a bit younger than his nine years of age. Her long blue skirt and long-sleeved white shirt rustled in the breeze, but she did not seem to mind in the slightest.

Kyuu had seen this girl several times, simply sitting all alone outside the tailor shop, with her sketchbook in her lap and her pencil scratching away. Something about this time felt different, though, as the girl periodically took microscopic breaks, punctuated by a closing of her eyes and one or two deep breaths. The quiet girl returned to her drawing. His two sisters occupied themselves arguing benignly about whether the fish in the story mattered or not, as the boy softly shuffled over to the lonely girl. He was surprised that he had managed to make it to the girl's side without her even glancing up at the noise. As the boy peered over the girl's shoulder to look at her drawing, his eyes widened at what he saw.

What the girl continued to shade and fill details of was a snapshot of the game he had been playing with his two sisters only moments before. He recognized the three people in the picture, but only because of the defining physical features he saw every day: the drawing was incredibly stylized, filled with curves and angular shapes that gave the image a mystical, dreamlike quality. Kyuu could not keep his opinion from spilling past his lips.

"That's really good!"

The girl jumped and gasped. She looked up, her dark blue eyes catching the light of the sun as she stared up at the boy with a startled expression. After a moment, she swallowed and took a deep breath, turning her attention back to her drawing. She paid specific attention to the small submarine, tracing its contours through the glassy puddle. Kyuu tilted his head, before squatting down next to the girl. The scratchings of her pencil did not falter.

"You know, you can come play with us, if you want."

The girl's writing utensil stopped. A minute pause ensued, before she dove right back into sketching. Kyuu scratched his cheek as he looked out at his two sisters. Suki splashed about in the puddle, before he heard Aoi mention something about how "the fishies are probably still in there." The short-haired girl immediately leapt out of the water and began to fervently apologize to the "fish," as Aoi couldn't restrain an impish giggle. The brother sighed.

"I don't know if people tell you this often, but your drawings really are cool-looking."

Kyuu looked over to the girl as he heard the scratching noise stop once again. She stared at her drawing with a slightly parted mouth, as though disbelieving of his words. She sat like this for nearly thirty seconds, as Kyuu turned back to look at his two sisters.

Finally, a tiny, restrained voice reached his ears.

"Y-You really mean that…?"

Kyuu turned back to the girl, her eyes locking with his for a split second before she looked away. He smiled.

"Of course, I do. I've never seen anything like them."

"Thank…Thank you."

The girl returned to her sketching as before.

"What's your name?" The boy asked.

A long pause.

"Oh, right, I guess it's kinda rude to ask for a name without giving my own," The boy said with a laugh, "Well, my name's Kyuu. Over there," He pointed to the two girls beside the puddle, "are my two sisters, Aoi and Suki."

"Those…names are all…"

"Weird, huh? Yeah, I get that a lot," The boy admitted with a cheeky grin, "My mom came from Japan, and my dad loves Japan, and he loves her, so they agreed on Japanese names for us."

"…Really?"

"Yeah! I can tell you more about it, if you want."

As the girl opened her mouth to respond, a spindly woman opened the door to the tailor shop. She cast her gaze left and right before settling on the girl directly next to the front step.

" _There_ you are!" The girl whirled to the woman, her eyes wide, "What have you been doing out here? I thought you said you were going to practice with the sewing machine again?"

"Uhm, I was taking…a break…" The girl explained, casting her eyes away from the woman.

"Well, breaktime's over. Come on, sweetheart," The woman coaxed.

"I drew something…" The girl started, showing the page she had left off on to the woman, presumably her grandmother.

"Yes, that's a very pretty picture, honey, now, come along," She spoke without even casting a glance towards the drawing.

The girl quickly stood and began to make her way inside.

"Wait, I never even got your name!" Kyuu exclaimed, standing up after the girl.

She paused on the front step.

Holding her sketchbook to her chest, she turned to Kyuu and surprised him.

The smallest of smiles crossed her lips.

"Michel. Michel Jackson."

* * *

Suki cracked her eyes open to a softly lit plaza. As she carefully raised herself off of the cool cobblestone, she noted the presence of several houses and shops lining the area, with a small café with candlelit tables situated directly across from where she was currently attempting to regain her bearings. A few pedestrians with undefined facial features milled about here and there, adding to a dull thrum that gave the area a distinct sense of quiet life.

 _What was…that dream?_ She asked, recalling the images of a younger version of herself, her family, and the young woman attacking them, _but, more importantly…_

"Where…is this…?" Suki asked no one in particular, as she held her head in one hand.

"Ah, an apt question, indeed, Miss Kanao."

Startled, Suki jumped and turned to the voice she would recognize anywhere, unsurprised at the smile she came face-to-face with.

"I would advise that you take more heed to your surroundings than to me, Miss Kanao. After all, you _are_ in enemy territory," Whit cautioned, gesturing to the area around them.

After extending one more cursory glance to the plaza, Suki shook her head and straightened up.

"I don't think I need to worry."

"Oh? And what, pray tell, would give that idea presence in your thoughts?" The blonde man asked, tilting his head quizzically.

"Well, I'll start by saying I don't quite have a clear handle on how Michel's Stand works, but I have figured out this much," The girl began, folding her arms as she expressed her thought process, "Her Stand lets her make new environments. Based on things her victims have seen, and based on…fiction, I _think_?"

"Fiction? Do explain."

Suki smiled.

"I don't know how long you've lived in Egypt, but even from spending a few days in this country, you would know just how particularly arid the climate is. This place feels cool and comforting. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think we have the resources to make a high-tech biosphere, where we can change the temperature of the area with a push of a button. So, I know this place must have been created by Michel's Stand to hold us captive.

"And yet, here you are. You were nowhere to be found on the coast, even though you said you would meet us there, and I doubt someone like you would let anyone get the drop on you, like Michel got on us. And I don't know how much she can control her Stand, but I think she'd notice if someone was forcing their way into her world. I think the only way you could've got in here was that she _let_ you in."

A long pause.

Then, Whit smirked, bringing a hand to his chin.

"A few of your assumptions are off the mark; however, you are correct. You _shouldn't_ be worried, for the most part, as _Michel_ is cooperating with _me_."

Suki sighed.

"Okay, so I have many questions, but I'll get the most important ones out of the way first," She took a deep breath, and then questioned, "Are the others safe, and how can I find them?"

Whit adjusted his cap.

"True to your values until the end that is bitter, I see. I shall ease your worries by saying your friends and loved ones are safe…for the moment," Suki pursed her lips at the last part of this statement, as Whit continued, "How you will find them…Involves finding an object…Well, allow me to point your attention in the direction that dog is walking."

Accurate to his word, Suki followed Whit's pointed appendage to a small terrier walking into an alley across the way. The girl turned to Whit with a raised eyebrow. In response, he merely gestured to follow. With a roll of her eyes, Suki began to keep step behind the canine, apparently so set on its destination that it did not care that it was being followed. She turned and continued to pelt Whit with questions as he strolled behind her.

"So, am I to assume that this is some sort of test for me and my friends?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I would prefer you to call it an 'exploration' of your abilities. I was only given a paltry amount of information regarding yourself, and your relation to the prevention of calamity."

"Uh-huh. So, the growth of my allies doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things?"

"That is…"

"'Confidential'? 'Classified'?"

As the two walked out of the alleyway, the terrier padded over to a much larger pack of different breeds of dogs, all milling about and interacting with each other within the confines of an open-air pen. Suki looked out over the animals as she addressed the man beside her.

"Whit, I know you've been really closed off about this, and I really don't want to dig into any wounds you have…"

She turned to him, meeting his razor green stare with her soft brown eyes and a gentle smile.

"But, I think it would be easier for you and for me…If you would just tell me what this 'calamity' is… Or, at the very least, how _I'm_ supposed to contribute to stopping it."

Whit was silent.

Finally, he sighed.

"I…truly should be more certain in this information myself, considering its source…"

As Whit murmured, out of the corner of Suki's eye, she spotted a white Great Dane with black spots easily clearing the fence of the enclosure. The dog turned to look back at the two humans standing beside the pen, revealing that it held something in its mouth. A tan, wide-brimmed fedora with a darker band was clutched between the canine's jaws.

Suki's eyebrows shot up.

"Isn't that Mr. Joestar's hat?" She queried with a point of her finger.

No sooner had she indicated that the dog had something that she wanted than the escapee bolted down a nearby alley. Suki reacted by rushing to the other side of the pen, stopping short just in view of the alley. Whit stood stock still, as Suki looked down the narrow path. From where the man stood, he could tell Suki was staring at the rim of the fence, and not directly at the rogue canine. She hopped from foot to foot and clicked her tongue twice. As suddenly as she had sprinted over to the alleyway's opening, she dashed into the alley opposite of the one she was facing. Before Whit was given time to question what Suki's plan was, the clicking of claws against stone was followed shortly by the Great Dane emerging from the alley it had disappeared into in a mad dash, in hot pursuit of the girl.

Whit followed the dog at a quiet jog, keeping pace until the three reached the open plaza once more. Suddenly, Suki tripped over presumably air and fell flat to the ground. The Great Dane stopped about ten feet away. Suki merely moved her left hand out to her side. She did not move further, save for the subtle, arrhythmic rising and falling of her body.

A few moments passed before the dog cautiously approached the downed girl, brushing her hand with the hat as it leaned down to sniff her hand. Whit looked on curiously, as the canine then whined and headbutted her arm. Suki chuckled and slowly pushed herself to her knees, reaching out and stroking the dog's neck.

"That's a good dog," She cooed quietly, grinning.

She grasped the brim of the hat in her fingers, but the Great Dane began to growl at her. Suki's eyes widened subtly, but she remained resolute, as she pushed the hat up slightly, loosening her grip on the article of clothing. In response, the canine let the hat fall out from its jaws, as it began to pant from the earlier exertion. Suki grasped the brim of the hat once more and picked it up, as she stood and walked over to Whit. As she did so, an eerie light began to envelop the two of them. The girl closed her eyes to shield them from the brightness.

When she opened them, she was shocked to see that she no longer stood in the comforting, warmly-lit town she had woken up in. Rather, she stood with white, cloudy fluff up to her shins on a path of snow. Upon further examination of her surroundings, Suki could see a decorated balcony hanging above her. As she turned forward, she noticed the pathway was bordered by mighty evergreen trees, covered in the same snowy blanket as the ground. What stood at the edge of this path, protected by a sturdy gate supported by no walls, was a tattered yet imposing castle. From such a distance, the building looked antique. It was beautiful and elegant in its structure; however, due to being left behind by the constant march of time, it seemed as though it could collapse at a mere sneeze.

"What you see here… is a creation of _his_ mind," Whit answered the question he knew to be rolling in Suki's mind.

 _His…?_

She thought back to the hat she had worked to obtain. The girl came to a conclusion as she placed the article of clothing in her satchel.

"Oh…So, this is _Mr. Joestar's_ memory…" She tilted her head and folded her arms, "Okay, I _think_ I get how I'm going to find everyone…"

Whit gestured for her to continue.

"You said finding everyone involves 'finding an object,' so it's gotta be something closely connected to the person I'm looking for at that moment in time, like an article of clothing. I'll have an easier time of finding that object if I search for things the person likes. The object should be nearby from that point. Does…that sound about right?"

Whit blinked.

"The things the person likes…?"

"Mr. Joestar really likes dogs. I figured as much, since, when Jotaro and I told the group about the fight with Yellow Temperance, when we got to the part where the dog died," The girl's face fell, as she presumably prayed silently for the poor deceased animal, before she resumed her explanation, "Mr. Joestar was the most upset in the group. I'd say he was almost as sad as I was when I saw it happen. So, I made the connection when I saw a dog holding his hat in its mouth," _Although, I could just_ really _be jumping the gun here…_ Suki added inwardly.

"So, you are not of sub-average intelligence…"

Suki pursed her lips.

"Not everyone thinks I'm stupid, you know. Or were you not there when that conversation happened?"

"In what location did this conversation occur? My mind draws a blank at this moment in time…"

"It was on the plane. The one Death 13 attacked us on?"

"Ah, well, you cannot have expected me to have taken a joyride in that automobile crash just begging to happen. I had been following that chaotic flight from below. I must say, that nosedive and subsequent recovery, followed by a complete failure of piloting prowess was…spectacular."

 _I've given up trying to figure out how this guy can be so lackadaisical about dangerous situations like this…_ Suki thought, scratching the back of her neck, _then again…He must know something we don't…After all, he's had several people we found to be threats twisted around his middle finger. Granted, that could be nailed down to cunning and a bit of foresight for people like Enyaba and the user of The Sun, but knowing specifically when and how we would be attacked by Midler,_ after _having gone rogue against Dio…It's almost like he can predict the future, or something…_

A frigid wind blew past the two. Suki was immediately reminded of where she was. With her breath coming out of her mouth in wispy puffs, as she wrapped her arms around herself, she voiced the most prevalent thought in her mind at that moment.

"It's s-s-s-s-so c-c-c-c-c-c- _cold_!"

"I do believe, in this moment, that it would be appropriate to respond, 'No shit, Sherlock.'"

"F-F-Fuck you, W-Watson…"

"Right then. Here," With that, Whit began to unbutton his shirt. As he reached the last button, he shrugged the fabric off and held it out to Suki.

"I-I-I can't just t-t-t-t-take that from y-you," Suki denied.

"I am unfettered by the chill. I merely register that it is, in fact, cold. Suffering does not result from temperature difference, in my case."

Suki stared at the man for a few seconds more, ensuring that he did not shiver or otherwise betray his statement. Her gaze drifted over his pale skin, riddled with stitches. Finally, she nodded and took the shirt, pushing her arms into the sleeves. The otherworldly warmth of is skin must have even seeped into the clothes he wore, as Suki immediately felt like she had donned a parka in this snow-covered land.

"My apologies, that I could not provide another source of warmth."

Suki shook her head.

"This is fine! I feel warmer already. Thank you."

Whit turned to the dark building farther away.

"Time does not move in this world. I instructed Michel to not hold back, however, so those you care for are still potentially in danger. As such, we should still act with due haste," He pointed at the mausoleum, "I hold a decent hunch that Mr. Joestar may indeed be in that structure."

"Yeah, especially since…" As she followed the man's point, her eyes drifted to two people currently making their way towards the building ahead of them. One was a woman with long, dark flowing hair, wearing a shawl over her shoulders and a striking red scarf around her neck. The other was a taller, muscular man with side-swept brown hair, wearing a brown parka and an aviator hat.

 _Something about that man…_ Suki thought, _I feel like…That's a younger version of Mr. Joestar. And…If that_ is _Mr. Joestar…Then, that woman…She might be one of the other Hamon users he mentioned…_

"Indeed. Shall we, then?" Whit asked, holding his hand out to Suki. The girl was about to voice discontent about being treated like a child, but one glance back down to her submerged feet explained without words that she would need assistance in getting through the snowfield with minimal hiccups. She placed her hand in his and the two set off.

"So…What is this 'calamity' you're trying so hard to avoid?"

"…The ultimate reset of the universe as we know it."

...

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Some force…will cause a universal reset. This… _This_ is the calamity that will cause millions…no, _billions_ of lives to be wiped from existence. Yours, mine…Everyone's…"

"N-Now wait, hang on!" Suki stammered, utterly floored, "How the hell is the universe gonna _reset_?! How, in the name of some higher power, can a person even get the power to do that?!" The girl paused for a moment, before continuing, "Wait, is that what the notebook Lyn found was talking about? This is their twisted way of 'making Heaven come'?"

"…That is correct."

Suki's eyebrows raised, as she disbelieved her own ears, upon hearing what she never expected to hear lacing Whit's voice.

Uncertainty.

"You mentioned that you received this information from another source. Is this source Lyn, too?"

"Allow me but a moment to explain."

Whit was silent for a long moment. The crunching of feet through the snow was the only sound permeating the air.

"I began to see more than what lies in front of me, what occurs presently, following the 'failed' Stand Transplant surgery. A latent ability of mine, perhaps? Mayhaps it results from the Stand user who was forcibly linked to me. I know not; however, small, various modicums of information about what has yet to occur are contained within my brain. Rarely do they link. More often they exist as static facts and events. Among those are the fact that the calamity that will commit murder on a worldwide scale is a universal reset, set to occur…What looks to be a few years more than two decades, from now."

" _That_ long?" Suki asked incredulously, "Okay, I can understand preparing for a literal reset of the universe so far in advance, but…What exactly do I have to do with it?"

"Some ability that you wield, in that necklace you hold close, allows fate to alter by your hands. Such alterations include the avoidance of death. Not just for yourself, but for those you have grown close to."

"Altering fate…Avoiding death…?" The girl's eyes widened, "You…You mean…Everyone is going to…?" She was frightened to finish her question.

Whit shook his head slowly.

"Not everyone. This is a mere presumption, perhaps wishful thinking on my behalf. However, several do perish, with or without your presence. To answer the question that you had posed to me earlier, I do wish to see the cultivation of one other's abilities. To the point that he truly contains and utilizes the ability he has to halt this disaster from occurring."

Suki rifled through her thoughts, remembering how he treated each one of her comrades. Reaching an answer based on who he extended any form of courtesy to, she spoke.

"You're talking about one of the Joestars, right?"

"Yet another correct answer from Miss Kanao. Gold star for you."

The girl rolled her eyes.

"Fine, so one of the Joestars has the ability to stop this calamity from happening, and I also have that ability…You made it sound kind of like those abilities are linked…?"

"They are indeed. Your ability will bring out the full potential of Mr. Kujo's ability, allowing the reset of the universe to be avoided."

 _So_ Jotaro _is the other one he wants to test_ …

"I do believe your next question is 'How will my ability empower his?'"

Suki paused, before nodding slowly.

"'Despair' is a concept I brought attention to during our discussion, was it not?"

"Despair?"

"Despair. Part of Speech: Noun. Definition: The complete loss or absence of hope. Example: 'Driven to despair, he threw himself under the oncoming train.'"

"I know what the definition of despair is!" Suki shot back, trying not to imagine the scenario the man mentioned occurring to the person they had previously been discussing.

"Pardon me for the…unwarranted assumption," Whit cleared his throat, "Returning to the topic at hand… The brawl between your group and Dio…" He closed his eyes, mulling over his thoughts, "In most scenarios, the total number of deaths for your group is three. I…cannot see further down any possible paths that would result in no deaths…"

"Quantum mechanics…The many-worlds interpretation…?" Suki probed.

Whit stopped and stared back at her.

"When my mom told me that we wouldn't be studying multiverse theory, I decided to do some outside research," The girl shrugged, "I couldn't retain all of the details, but, what it sounds like to me, is that you're seeing not only multiple events down the same timeline we're on right now, but also multiple _other_ timelines, too?"

"Where…was this before…?"

"Huh?"

"Your intelligence…" Whit turned and took Suki by the shoulders, shaking her roughly, "Did you hit your head on the way out of your memory? How are you called? To whom do you look up?"

"Whiiiiiiiit, reeeeeelaaaaax!" She responded amidst the shaking. After Whit had released her, she cleared her throat and spoke, "It's still me in here. I just…tend to think better during quiet moments. I think I'm getting better thinking in the heat of battle, so… _maybe_ that's helping me think better when fighting isn't going on, too?"

Whit stared into her eyes for a moment more, before loosening his grip on her shoulders and turning around once more, as Suki grasped his hand once again for support.

"Where I discern the universal reset to be is at the end of the timelines where death _does_ occur. Put simply, despair drives Mr. Kujo to act rashly. The human body is quite a fragile entity; however, he assumes those around him to be made of porcelain, given the circumstances. As such, in futile attempt to….how does the phrase play out? 'Retain his confection, and also consume it?'"

"...'Have his cake and eat it, too?'" Suki wondered.

"Ah, yes, that is the turn of phrase. He attempts to rescue someone he cares for, while also dealing a fatal blow to the cause of calamity. He ultimately fails. The reset occurs shortly thereafter."

"Should I…Question how you know the reset occurs if it's…well, a _reset_?"

"No."

"Okay, then. So, I have to stop people from dying on that night. That will stop Jotaro from falling into despair, and that will stop the universe from being reset. Do I have that right?"

"Yes; however, the potential to fall will still exist. How, I have yet to deduce."

"How am I supposed to know how to stop it, then?"

"Well, I do presume that your presence as a calming entity will be enough to prevent such a graceless tumble in the first place from there."

"Hmm. I could still see us being close later down the line. Maybe not in the same vein as we are now, but still friends, at the very least."

"...Tell me, Miss Kanao, are there rituals where friends marry one another?"

"Well, no, but why…"

The words Whit had just spoken slowly sunk in.

"Wait, why are you asking me that?" Suki asked slowly, "Are you…Are you telling me that…?"

The two finally reached the gate, as Whit peered through the bars, observing the two people they had been tailing.

"I do believe this is as far as I am able to accompany you, Miss Kanao."

"Don't just ignore that bomb you dropped on me! I need you to answer my question!" Suki called out, flustered beyond repair.

"Hm? Why so embarrassed, Miss Kanao? It is merely a marriage of you and-"

"Y-You can't just go and tell me that!"

"Two seconds have passed since you interrogated me on the answer to this question. I do not see why you would contradict yourself so swiftly. Is marriage really something so blasphemous?"

"It's…not that…"

Thoughts rushed through Suki's head all at once, filling her skull with a pounding sensation.

 _This is…so much, so fast…I can barely make heads or tails of this…!_ She shook her head, _right now, I need to focus on the task at hand: saving the others._

"Let's not focus on that for now," Suki responded, slowly regaining her composure, "Before we part ways, I want to make sure I have everything straight about these…memories, as you called them?"

"Proceed."

"First, there's the central area, the odd town, where I'm guessing the other memories branch off of, if I ended up there after I escaped mine. That's where I found the way into Mr. Joestar's memory…"

"What donates the idea that the town was not merely a break along a linear path?"

"It's…more of a gut instinct. That town feels like it has more to it than what I saw. Plus, why would Michel show me something so detailed if it didn't have to do with any memories, and I was never going to see it again?"

"...I shall neither confirm nor deny your suspicions."

"Right…So, from there," Suki continued her train of thought, glancing about at the environment, "I'm guessing…these are memories that _we_ have…? Playing out in front of us like movies? And at the center of the memory is a monster that is a twisted mirror image of the person who has the memory?...How close am I?"

"…Quite, with a few hiccups," Whit began, bringing a hand to his chin, "For a beginning point, allow me to correct you on the idea that the mirror image is twisted. The copy _is_ twisted, in pursuit of infiltrating the mind of the person remembering and shutting off desire to escape or move. All I shall divulge is that the mirror image is _not_ baseless, hence why I choose to refer to them not as mere copies, but _shadows_ of the person remembering."

 _Shadows, huh…_

"I must include that there exists no point in undertaking the task of defeating these monsters. Due to Michel's power in these worlds, their forces of life regenerate, as do their bodies. The most one could achieve in relation to incapacitation is stunning the beasts. How long that will benefit your group, I have yet to deduce. There are small exceptions, however, that I shall not divulge at this moment in time.

"Secondly, the only fashion through which you are able to rescue the others is by waking them up, much as you did yourself in your own memory, and escape through the same passage used to enter. Michel's hold over their spirits is immensely fortified; as such, they are unable to flee on their own. An outside force must intervene."

"Then…how did I escape?" Suki asked, "Or is it because I'm your favorite or something?"

"You regained the ability to move due to hearing your cry of resolution. Or am I mistaken?"

 _So, because I'm the only one who yelled before something happened, I got special treatment, and was able to escape?_ The girl thought.

"That's…asinine," She replied.

"I am not responsible for the construction of these parameters. I would advise you not point animosity at myself."

"I wasn't, just… never mind."

"I believe that is all of the information you shall require before acquiescing to this quest. Might you possess any other questions or concerns?"

 _He really does sound like an attendant of sorts…_ Suki inwardly remarked, _well, I can't think of anything else that's pressing…but, all of this snow_ did _just remind me!_

Suki took a sharp breath in.

"Yes?"

"It's…nothing," Suki dismissed, casting her eyes away.

"Your reaction held drama to it. Something powerful must have shaken you to your core. What is the circumstance that has done so?"

"You don't have to worry, you'll just think it's stupid."

"You have been fair in listening my explanations out to the very end. It is equality's sake that I should extend the same courtesy."

Suki took a deep breath.

"Well, I just remembered…I wanted to ask you, what's today's date?"

"The twenty-sixth of December."

The girl sighed deeply, unable to contain her disappointment.

"So, we did end up missing Christmas, after all…"

...

...

"…Indeed. I shall depart now," Whit bid farewell glibly, as he turned and began to walk from the gate, waving to the girl behind him, "You must not capture frostbite, so I entrust my uniform to you until a later point. Until then."

"Until then…" Suki replied with a small, sad wave. She clutched the shirt closer, as she suddenly felt a small chill.

 _I_ told _him it was stupid…_ She thought, _And I knew we would miss it when we first went over the route we were going to take…Everyone was so wrapped up in our mission that I completely blanked on it, though. That isn't like me…Even if not everyone celebrates it, just an acknowledgement of this kind of holiday should raise people's spirits. That's what I hope for._

With a resolute nod, she turned back to the gate and began to edge the iron partition open, just as an explosion rocked the boarded-up building.

A powerful cyclone blasted the ornate doors apart, as the man and woman ahead of Suki braced themselves against the harsh wind. As the dust settled, the two looked on at the rubble in shock.

"S-Such destruction!" The man exclaimed.

"I-It couldn't be!" The woman mused.

"It's Wamuu's Divine Sandstorm!"

"So that means Caesar is…!"

The two adults crept closer to the collapse, taking refuge behind a broken fragment of the wall, as Suki tiptoed through the snow behind them, careful to keep a fair distance away.

 _My shadow noticed I was leaving before I reached the exit…I didn't directly interfere with the proceedings of the memory…_ Suki mused, _even so, I still don't want to risk his copy taking notice of me before I get close enough to where Mr. Joestar is. If the shadow is a product of the self in the memory, then the real Mr. Joestar must be close enough that his shadow can keep some semblance of an eye on him…_

Just then, a blinding, golden glow flowed out of the open doorway like water, accompanied by a shout to the heavens that carried an undeniable note of finality.

" _Take it!_ "

"That's Caesar! Did you hear that?" The man asked, directing his voice to the woman behind him.

"Yes. Caesar can't be…!"

" _Caesar!_ "

The only response to the worried cry of the man was a loud thud, echoing through the building and reverberating out across the snow. The two adults looked to each other and exchanged a firm nod, before stepping over the pieces of the doorway standing between them and their comrade. Their footfalls were calculated, careful, but carried no absence of urgency in order to ensure the safety of the man who they had heard from afar.

Suki felt a distinct cloud of dread condense in her chest, as she took a deep breath and slowly followed after the two.

 _Forgive me, Mr. Joestar…_ She apologized, _but, if I'm going to help you, I need to intrude just a bit further._

The rubble crumbled beneath the feet of the two adults. The man took the initiative and entered further, his steps echoing through the lonely lobby. Suki peered into the building after the two.

The foyer of the building carried the same air of depreciating antique quality as the outside, the remnants of an unseen battle still breathing angst through the room. Chunks of dilapidated columns and walls sat sadly on the floor, abandoned by time and humans alike.

Blood dripped down the left main staircase, leading to the first landing where, floating silently, betraying any signs of lifelessness the area had held up to that point, was a brilliant, crimson bubble, delicately containing a striped headband

"Th-The place is a wreck. A Divine Sandstorm did this. And Caesar was caught in it," The man discerned.

He and the woman gasped as they looked to the left staircase, their gazes falling on the red bubble.

"A bubble…C-Could it be…?" The man asked, reaching out to the delicate object in disbelief, "No!"

As the bubble approached his hand, a small flurry of golden sparks rushed between it and the man's hand.

"It's Caesar's bandanna! And…A ring! Wamuu's lip ring!"

The man reached out and grasped the bubble with both hands. As he did so, a bright light accompanying a series of powerful sparks flowed from the object into his body.

"This Hamon energy feels strange! W-Whoa!"

The bubble finally burst, neatly delivering the bandanna and ring into the man's open hands. He fell to his knees, utterly silent. He refused to clutch the bandanna any tighter, as though the action would sear the truth of his friend's fate into his mind, never to be altered.

Suki quickly snuck over to the side of the right staircase, as she cast her gaze about, searching for her friend while keeping an eye on where the memory's participants' gazes were pointed.

 _It's like watching a train wreck…_ Suki cursed inwardly, clutching at her chest, _I won't let this deter me. I need to find Mr. Joestar._

"I haven't called Caesar's name since we got here," The man whispered, his concerned words bouncing off the empty walls and floor to reach the ears of any who listened, "It was because I was scared. If I cried out his name and there was no response…If there was only silence…That's what scared me. I wouldn't accept it. So I didn't call him. But now I know. The Hamon in that bubble told me everything."

He clutched his hands together tightly.

"Right here, moments ago…Caesar died."

The man shook his head, fighting back tears.

"Caesar, you bastard. You were a showoff till the end. Leaving a gift like this…" Finally directing his voice out to the lobby, he called, "Caesar, where are you?!"

The man lunged forward and buried his hands in the rocks strewn across the area, desperately digging in the hopes of finding Caesar.

"Where are you sleeping?! I'll find you! I'll dig you up! Caesar!"

"JoJo!" The woman spoke sternly, immediately halting Joseph's movements with a single word. She swiftly removed a box of cigarettes from her shirt pocket, as she addressed the man, "This isn't the time to search or grieve."

"What?!"

"There are two of them and two of us. Even numbers," She explained, turning her gaze to the staircase as she brought a cigarette to her lips, "But all that trail of blood says Caesar hurt Wamuu badly. We're in enemy territory. Let's go and finish it."

Joseph hesitated.

"JoJo, come on. Take the antidote, then we'll hunt them," She commanded, curtly turning her back to the man.

Joseph clenched his fist, angry that the woman had shown no emotion towards the death of their comrade. Closing his eyes as the woman pulled out a lighter, he stood slowly and addressed her.

"Coach Lisa Lisa…your cigarette's backwards."

A moment passed.

Lisa Lisa lowered the lighter. She reached up and removed the cigarette from her mouth, bending it in her grip in frustration.

Joseph looked to the ring and bandanna in his hand, tightening his hand around the object.

"But I'll fight them like the devil! Your spirit rests with me!"

Suddenly, a fragment of wood broke off of the boarded-up window.

The light gently beamed down on the floor, illuminating the room just enough for the two to see what they had been missing in the darkness.

Sitting in the middle of the room was a cross-shaped stone, as a dark, red liquid flowed newly from underneath.

"Blood…It's blood," Joseph said.

Joseph and Lisa Lisa gazed at the broken ceiling fragment, as they pieced together the final, tragic resting place of their ally.

"That's where Caesar fell," The man said, "Caesar…"

The woman finally let her façade collapse, as she fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands.

"Caesar…" She sobbed.

" _Caesar!_ " Joseph cried, as he desperately tried to bring an answer out of his friend.

But, no matter how many times he called Caesar's name, no one answered.

All they were met with was cold, unforgiving silence.

"Mr. Joestar…I've found you…!" Suki breathed a sigh of relief.

True to her statement, sitting further along the upper level concourse, looking out onto the first floor of the room, was the sleeping figure of the Joseph Joestar that Suki knew. His back was propped against one of the broken columns, as his head was bowed forward.

Suki quickly rubbed the moisture from her eyes as she crept over to her comrade, not a sound accompanying her steps.

And yet, the enemy was somehow made aware of her presence.

The floor of the upper walkway beneath Suki's feet collapsed, as a pillar that seemed too fractured to stay together swung up through it. It carried the girl in an arc before she reacted and leapt off, as the pillar smashed into the ground, finally breaking. As she looked up to meet eyes with her enemy, she was surprised to note a key difference between this shadow and her own.

 _It's so_ huge _!_

Standing nearly four times her size, this large, blood-soaked behemoth of a man-shaped figure stood in the place of the Joseph from the memory. A breastplate covered his torso, with a garden of shrubs seemingly growing directly from the skin of his legs, covering every portion of his lower half. Most noticeable was the fact that this titan wore a strange, uncanny black mask wearing a constant smile. Only one purple eye glowed from behind the mask, as the shadow pulled out a staff with two scythe blades attached to either end and addressed the smaller intruder.

"You think you can just help him escape after letting someone so dear to him die? He must stay here and learn the gravity of what he has done!" The copy bellowed, his voice reverberating through the area.

 _That isn't your decision!_ Suki thought, as she ducked under a vicious swing of the bladed weapon.

The shadow swung its staff down as Suki dodged to the left, the blade lodging in the ground. The girl rushed past the monster as he quickly pulled his weapon up and swung it horizontally at Suki, aiming to slice her in half. The girl jumped in order to miss the blade; however, the monster turned the weapon ninety degrees at the last second, bashing the side of the blade into Suki's side and swinging her across the room. Her back made contact with the wall by the entrance with a sickening smash of the structure. The beast swung its weapon down at Suki once more as she regained her composure. This time, the girl leapt to the right, aiming to vault up the stairs, hoping she could just reach the railing and pull herself up over the side.

Accompanying the sound of ropes swinging through the air, Suki found she suddenly couldn't move her arms or her legs apart from each other. She flopped helplessly to the ground with a few clanks and a thud. She examined what the cause of her immobility was and was struck dumbfounded by what the shadow had used to bind her.

 _Wait…Aren't these toys for little kids?_

The ropes that bound her limbs were thin strings. At either end of each string was a silver ball with a large "J" inscribed on it. Sure enough, Suki had seen children playing with toys like these at one point; however, for the life of her, she could not remember their name at that particular moment.

The shadow lumbered over to her and stood across from her, picking her up by the arms, his expression indiscernible behind his mask. She felt the strings around her arms loosen slightly as friction occurred between them and his fingers. Suki swung her legs up quickly, throwing the metal balls at the end of her bindings into the monster's chin. His wrist flicked involuntarily as his head snapped back, tossing Suki in the direction of the railing she had been pursuing. Smashing into the side of the railing, Suki had the wind knocked out of her as she desperately tried to pull the rest of her body over. Calling Knight of Cups with a silent command, the Stand emerged from her canteen and created a water whip in her hands. Binding the whip around her user's ankles, she yanked Suki the rest of the way over railing, flipping her onto her back. As she looked to the side, she saw the shadow making its way over to her quickly, swinging the blade down once more. Noting where the blade was going to land, Suki scrambled onto her stomach just as the weapon crashed into the landing. A cloud of dust puffed up following the contact with the old, hard surface. The shadow pulled out his weapon, bringing the blade he had just swung over his shoulder as he waited for the dust to settle in the deafening silence.

No body laid under the dust.

Confused, the shadow looked back to his weapon.

Clearly not minding the blood now staining her hands from her new cuts, Suki sat on the curved blade of the weapon, rubbing the binds around her ankles against the inside curve of the scythe. Just as the enemy moved to grab her from off of his weapon, she pulled up her now unbound feet and pushed as hard as she could off of the blade, tumbling onto the concourse and rushing over to the fallen man leaning against the wall.

Just as she reached out to shake Joseph awake, her hand landing on his shoulder, the same eerie light that had brought her into the memory shined once more, pulling Suki into what seemed like a different plane.

Blank, white mist covered the area. Time did not seem to exist under what looked like a cloudy sky. Yet, she could tell she was still in the world created by Michel. This just so happened to be a safe space within it.. Suki could not even hear the wind as she stood across from the man she had been attempting to awaken.

Mr. Joestar sat in the same position in which Suki had found him: completely closed off from the world with his eyes closed.

Suki was almost afraid to break the silence; however, she pressed on. She knew what she needed to do.

She stepped forward.

As if preemptively aware of what she would say to him, Joseph spoke up.

"What's the point…What's the point of going on, like this?"

Suki stopped.

 _That's…That's what I thought, back in my memory…_ She reminisced, _"what's the point?" This must be Michel's doing: neither he nor I would ever think like this. We wouldn't…We wouldn't be brought down to this extent by negative thoughts. I need to get him to see reason._

"I'll lose everyone…Just like I lost Caesar…What's the point of fighting if I'm going to lose everything anyway…?"

Suki shook her head.

"Mr. Joestar, you know that isn't true."

She took a deep breath, bringing her hand out in front of her.

"I can't imagine what it's like to lose someone so close… _forever_ …Sometimes, I wish I _did_ know, so I could be more supportive, without just saying, 'Everything will be okay!'

"But, on that journey, you didn't lose everything. I believe those stories you've told about that adventure, because you believed in my crazy story. You said you had saved the world, didn't you?"

...

Joseph raised his head slightly.

"You said, if it wasn't for the red stone of Aja, then 'this world would be pretty different.' Whatever these monsters would've done, it would've affected the entire planet."

Suki smiled softly.

"You didn't lose the world, Mr. Joestar. You didn't lose your life."

She clenched her fist and brought it in front of her chest.

"And you're not going to lose your daughter. I'll do everything I can to make sure of that. I know everyone else will, too."

The girl offered her open hand to the man on the ground.

"I know you won't give up without a fight, Mr. Joestar. So, let's keep fighting."

...

Joseph slowly raised his arm.

He took Suki's hand and pulled himself to his feet.

Suki didn't think it possible, but, somehow, Mr. Joestar's gaze was even more determined than when they were completing the last leg of the submarine journey. Her smile grew strong, as she pulled him into a hug. After a moment, he patted her shoulder, as her eyes grew misty.

"I'm glad you're okay," She spoke quietly.

"Come on, now," The old man coaxed, pushing her to arm's length. He grinned at her, "Didn't you say I wouldn't give up without a fight? Of course, I'd be fine!"

Suki huffed a small laugh as she wiped at her eyes.

"Right."

Suddenly, the light from before shined once again, as the two were brought back to the concourse they had been situated on. The shadow turned to face the two, as though he had been looking desperately for them.

"Found you!"

"Oh, God! Is that supposed to be me?" Joseph shouted.

"Ask questions later! For now, we have to escape from this memory!"

"Alright, then!"

As Suki looked forward, trying to come up with a strategy for getting past this enemy, the sound of gunfire right next to her startled her into a defensive stance as the shadow grasped at the now-gaping hole in its mask, screaming in agony. Looking back to the man beside her, Suki's eyes widened as she laid eyes on what he had just fired, which was now out of bullets.

"Where the hell did you get a Tommy gun?!"

"I thought you said ask questions later?" Joseph asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Y-Yeah, right!"

With that, the two rushed over to the left side of the concourse, closer to the two exits. As Suki stopped to catch her breath, she observed the behemoth rip his mask off, trying desperately to get to his injured eye. As he cast his gaze about frantically, attempting to find the people he was supposed to hold captive, Suki noticed the purple glow she had previously seen in his one eye through the mask was gone. In fact, the titan's irises were completely gone, revealing blank, white eyes, much like her own shadow had.

 _Okay, from here…?_

Just as Suki tried to formulate a thought, Mr. Joestar leaned over to her and whispered an idea into her ear. The girl's eyebrows raised as she mulled over the plan. After a moment, she turned to the old man and nodded.

 _Okay, from here, I make a gun…_

 _..._

 _..._

 _Why…can't I…?_

As Suki looked into her bag frenetically, she saw her canteen still held water.

 _Why can't I make a firearm…?!_

Joseph watched Suki with a quizzical expression. He didn't seem concerned about the plan failing. Finally giving up on that, Suki decided on a different course for that step and instead yanked the empty Tommy gun out of the old man's grasp, wincing at the pain searing through her cut hands, and chucked the weapon as hard as she could at the boards on the window.

As she'd expected, the weapon crashed through the wood, sending splinters flying everywhere outside and, more importantly, catching the attention of the shadow. Thinking the two had used the window to escape, the monster rushed outside, not seeming to care about the fallen walls in its wake. Taking that as the cue to move, Suki formed a water whip and threw it at one of the remaining boards, allowing it to wrap around it, as Joseph summoned Hermit Purple and pulled himself up the window with a similar technique.

Looking out over the snowy front yard, they watched the shadow search fruitlessly for them, as though he was blind.

 _Did Mr. Joestar waking up cause him to go blind? Or did he actually manage to shoot both of his eyes_ out? _Or did he shoot the only eye that did work? There was only one purple glow, after all..._ Suki wondered as they watched the titan, _whatever the reason, it doesn't seem like he'll give up until he finds us…And I don't think Joseph thought past this point…_

Suki caught her fist in her hand.

 _I think I may have just gotten a shot of inspiration!_

She beckoned Joseph closer, as she murmured her idea into his ear.

After a moment, he nodded.

The two then began to climb up to the roof of the building, taking a few errant boards that were still nailed together with them.

The shadow continued to search the front of the building for any sign of the two. Meanwhile, Suki quickly unbuttoned the shirt Whit had left with her, as Joseph secured the boards into a flat surface. Sparing a quick glance out at the gate, making sure they would be able to clear the high partition, Suki gave an "okay" sign to Joseph, as she climbed onto the makeshift sled.

 _This is crazy, but it's gotta work!_ Suki thought, as she swallowed thickly, tying herself and the old man down to the sled with a water whip, _if his stories are anything to go off of, is this a common thing Joseph tells himself?_

Mr. Joestar took a deep breath as he pushed the sled forward. Allowing gravity to take hold as the boards began to slide down the slope, he jumped onto the back just as the sled cleared the edge.

Cold wind sunk its fangs into the two as they let the momentum they had built up push them forward through the air as they descended, as they forced their eyes open against the air.

 _This…feels like flying…!_ Suki thought, her mind flashing back to when she had first felt such a sensation, _right…That was another crazy plan._

Suki clenched her fists against the hard wood.

 _I'm gonna save him. Him, and everyone else._

"Now!"

Suki took one of Whit's shirt's sleeves in each of her hands, allowing the cloth to function as a makeshift parachute, Joseph holding on tightly to the board, as they glided quickly over the gate. The titan looked up just as they cleared it. The sled hit the ground with a thud, miraculously staying together as Suki pulled the shirt back in and let their remaining momentum carry them to the end of the path, where the exit lay waiting.

Where she and Whit had entered, against the wall of the balcony that she had previously looked up at, was a shining light. Somehow, she recognized it as the same exit she had used to flee from her memory.

"That light! That's where we're headed!" She called out.

"Not so fast!"

Looking behind them, they saw the shadow lumbering faster than they could've imagined after them.

 _"You did that! You killed Caesar!"_

Thinking quickly, seeing a tree along the path a hair's breadth away from falling over, Joseph shot his Stand out at the trunk of the tree, tightening the vines to the point that what remained of the tree's trunk broke away, allowing the mighty arbor to fall. The tree caught the monster's arm as he reached out to catch the two, pinning him to the ground, as he shouted in pain.

"Nice thinking, Mr. Joestar!"

"I've still got it!"

Bright light embraced the two as they tumbled back into a familiar area.

* * *

...

"You know, you can leave if you want to, if you're bored."

"I-I'm not!"

"You're stuttering."

"C-Cuz it's…cold out here…"

"I don't believe you."

"But, I wanna stay!"

"Alright, alright."

This exchange had occurred in some form on multiple occasions as Michel and Kyuu spent time with each other on lazy afternoons after Michel got out of class. The girl habitually sat down in a random spot in town, somewhere close enough to home that her mother would not worry about her, and would draw people milling about, bugs and animals that crossed into her view, and, most often, different conversations and events taking place.

Kyuu would try to sneak glances at Michel's work, but she would always respond the same way.

"C-Could you not stare so intently at what I'm doing?"

"Sorry about that."

Kyuu would interrupt Michel's concentration with an attempt at conversation several times. Michel would more often than not reply with one-to-two-word answers. Even with Michel's closed-off nature, Kyuu was persistent in helping her open up. One day, as the two sat in the living room of Kyuu's house…

"So, your grandma is teaching you how to budget, now?"

"Mm-hmm. It's a bunch of math," Michel responded, erasing an errant stroke on her paper, "I'm not too good with numbers."

"Yeah, me either. I can understand simple stuff, when it's just three or four numbers, but then you have to keep track of about fifty at once, and you lose me!"

"Right? Next I'll be told to bake thirty pies and balance them all on top of a sewing needle!"

Kyuu laughed.

"At least being able to work with numbers is a useful skill. I wish I had as much of a knack for it as Suki, she barely needs to study math because she just gets it!"

"Sometimes I wish I could be in her shoes…"

"Huh?" Kyuu scratched his head as he looked at Michel, "What do you mean?"

"Hmm…" Michel closed her eyes and bowed her head in thought.

"Is somebody _jealous_ of my little sis?" Kyuu's smile grew teasing.

"Jealous in a different sense than you're implying, my friend," Michel replied with a shake of her head. Kyuu seemed somewhat disheartened at this statement, as the girl smirked. She held her sketchbook to her chest as her eyes grew unfocused, "I just envy her freedom…You know?"

Kyuu placed a hand on Michel's shoulder, startling the girl somewhat. His smile was sincere.

"You'll be a great artist. I know it."

...

"…Why?" Michel asked.

"'Why'?" Kyuu parroted back.

"Why do you…believe so much?"

Kyuu was silent, as he tried to formulate a response. Michel analyzed her drawing as he thought, wondering what she could add to the image.

"…Passion."

"Huh?" Michel asked.

"The first time I saw your picture, I could immediately tell just how much passion you have for this. Someone as passionate as you…Will be a great artist."

"Kyuu…" Michel smiled, "And I know, whatever you do will make your mom and sister proud."

Kyuu's face seemed to fall at this remark, as his eyes drifted to the floor.

"Did…I say something wrong?"

The door suddenly opened, as little Suki and Ms. Kanao made their way into the house, both carrying bags filled with groceries.

"We're home," The mother announced.

"Ah! Michel's here!" Suki called out happily, waving a bag-filled hand to the young woman. Michel lightly waved back.

As the two entered the kitchen and set their things down, Michel looked to Kyuu to see he was smiling calmly once more. She mouthed the question, "Are you okay?" He nodded subtly, as Ms. Kanao walked back into the living room.

"Michel, will you be joining us for dinner?"

"Oh, no, I don't want to inconvenience you…"

Ms. Kanao waved her hand dismissively.

"Nonsense, you aren't inconveniencing anyone. It's the least I could do for my boy's little lady friend," She spoke with a wink, her son's mouth falling agape as she strolled back into the kitchen.

After giving her response a moment to sink in, Kyuu stood up sharply and followed his mother.

"Mom, you _know_ it's not like that!"

"Not like what, dear?"

"You know… _that_!"

"What's 'that,' Big Bro?"

"You don't …You don't need to know, Suki!"

"Big Bro, your face is all red! Are you sick?"

"Don't worry, Honey, he's not sick. He's just-"

" _Mom!_ "

As the family engaged in friendly banter, Michel chuckled quietly, as she slowly stood up and joined the others in the kitchen.

* * *

 _Was that…Michel's memory? If it is, why is she showing her memories to me…?_

"Ouch!"

Suki woke up fully to a random pedestrian stepping on her fingers. She shook out her hand as she quickly rose to her knees, her eyes widening as the once-quiet boulevard was completely awash in people whose faces were so undefined that one could not be discerned from another. The presumable civilians of the town rushed past her in throngs, threatening to shove her to the ground as she leapt to her feet. Air movement was a foreign concept: even with all of the people moving, so many bodies in one place only donated to an oppressive air hanging over the path. All that one could sense was uncomfortable heat and noise, noise, _noise_.

"Mr. Joestar?" Suki called, cupping her hands around her mouth to project her voice, noticing that she no longer wore the shirt Whit had let her borrow. Keeping her focus on the task at hand, she called again, "Mr. _Joestar!_ "

Among all of the voices talking, laughing, and crying at once, Suki might as well have been mute.

 _He couldn't have landed that far away, right?_ Suki thought, _I shouldn't go too far, but at the same time, we're losing time not being able to find each other…!_

Suddenly, the girl felt a cold hand wrap around her wrist and pull her forward without much delicacy. Looking down, she saw that, even wearing a glove, the hand that held her still felt cold. She recognized the ungiving, firm material of the hand.

"Mr. Joestar?"

"Just stick close to me!"

With Suki at his back, Joseph began to expertly weave in between the masses of moving bodies, like a tailor would thread the most intricate designs. The warmth of the crowd still remained, but movement allowed the two to finally get some air in their lungs.

The old man looked up and to his right to see a sign for what looked like a small store. Without a word, he guided Suki through the horde of people over to the entrance. Thankfully, the door only needed to be pushed open, as a small bell chimed, announcing their arrival. And, just as quickly as the din of the moving crowd of people washed over the two when they awoke, once the door had closed…

The noise was gone. Everything was silent.

Suki was afraid to break the quietude of the tiny store. Fortunately, she did not have to worry about doing this herself, as Joseph breathed a heavy sigh.

"And here I thought I wouldn't be dealing with crowds like that until after I got back home…"

The stressed comment was met with a collective shush from the shoppers and employees alike. Mr. Joestar flinched at the reaction, before scratching the back of his neck and seeming to remember something.

"Oh, right…" He whispered, "Bookstore…"

As Suki finally took a good look around at small shop they had retreated into, she noticed stacks of books sitting on tables, as well as dozens of shelves of books along the walls. A small staircase in the one alcove between the shelves seemed to lead to the second level. While Suki caught her breath from the chaos outside, the distinct scent of leather and paper reached her nostrils.

"More like a library…" Suki murmured.

"Right. So, is now a good time to ask questions?"

"Oh! Yeah, it is. Let me explain first…"

Surprising herself, Suki was able to fully explain as much as she knew about Michel's Stand and the world it created in less than two minutes, barring one question she couldn't answer.

"I can get that we're seeing the memories of other people, but then what is _this_ place supposed to be?" Joseph asked.

"Well, I'm not too sure myself…It's definitely tied to Michel in a way, in some unrealistic sense. This place doesn't exist in Egypt. I don't understand why it grew to be so bustling all of a sudden, either…"

"It was quieter when you first got here?"

Suki nodded.

 _Could it have been because I saved Mr. Joestar? Or could it have been because of that memory I saw before I woke up? Could that have changed the nature of the town?_

"But, you said that the way we'll find everyone else is by using what we know about them to look where we would expect to find them, and look for something they own?"

"That's what I figure…"

"Well, we're in as good a starting place as any, then!" Joseph announced, throwing his hands on the table in an act of finality.

" _Shhhh!"_

 _Libraries and Mr. Joestar just don't seem to get along…_ Suki thought.

"Why do you say that, Mr. Joestar?" Suki whispered.

"Abdul has a real affinity for reading in his spare time. If I were to imagine him anywhere when he isn't on the clock, it'd be searching through shelves for old volumes."

Suki grinned.

"Alright, let's get searching, then."

The two then split off to search the library from top to bottom, Suki leaving Knight of Cups alongside Joseph to keep in quiet contact with him as they rifled through the dusty shelves.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Mr. Joestar asked, as he began taking books out of the shelves in stacks of five, replacing them once he'd gotten a good look behind the tomes.

"Uhm…Good question," Knight folded her arms and tilted her head, "For you it was an article of clothing, so maybe that's what it will be again? Something he's wearing?"

"It's not going to be something weird, is it?"

"I doubt it," Knight said.

 _I_ hope _not,_ Suki thought.

"Oh, that reminds me!" With that, Knight of Cups floated back to her user's location before coming back with the hat Suki had found earlier, "This is yours!"

Joseph took the hat out of the Stand's hands, turning it over his grasp with a confused expression.

"How did she get my hat…? I wasn't wearing it before."

Knight was silent for a spell.

Then she shrugged.

"I dunno. How did _you_ pull a Tommy gun out of nowhere back in your memory?"

"That's…a good question."

"Shouldn't _you_ know?"

"I remember thinking that it would really be useful to have one in that moment when we were looking at my shadow, and, all of a sudden, one was there right behind me. If I had been given time to prepare for a situation like that, I would've brought all I needed with me, and hidden my equipment in a place no one would think to look!"

"And somewhere no one would think to look would be…?"

Jospeh shrugged with a smirk.

"Well, I can't tell you all of my tricks, now can I?"

 _This old man…_ Suki shook her head, _so, does that mean the memories_ can _be controlled by us, to an extent? I mean, we can alter the environments, even though they're memories, but, then…_

Suki clenched her fists, loosening them as she reached up and thumbed through the volumes on the shelf in front of her.

 _Why couldn't I make any guns? No matter how hard I thought about how a gun would feel in my hands, how it would work, I couldn't even make a tiny pistol. Did…Did I_ lose _the ability because of something that happened…?_

Suki's mind flashed back to the last time she had been able to create such a weapon.

The dry road, kicking up dust every time she moved her feet.

The hot sun beating down on her back.

The hustle and bustle of the crowd as they took in the sight of this girl standing between two men, looking like she was aiming a gun at one of the men in the middle of the street.

The kick of the gun as she fired the bullet.

...

Suki shook her head.

 _I didn't hurt him, though. He said I_ saved _him! I know I'm not going to kill anyone with this, so, why…?_

The girl brought her hands to her cheeks, mentally and physically slapping herself for becoming so bogged down when she needed to be searching.

 _I'll just need to keep tabs on how that affects my options, and what I can do to even the odds._

With that statement, Suki nodded and finished looking through her last shelf. She turned and walked away from the shelf and met up with Mr. Joestar across the room, much to Knight's glee, as she rejoined her user.

"Find anything?"

"No," Suki shook her head, "You haven't checked upstairs yet, have you?"

"Not yet."

"Let's look there, then."

As the two made their way to the alcove where the stairs were located, Joseph spoke up.

"By the way, Suki, how did you come up with that sled plan back there?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"It just doesn't seem like the kind of plan you would come up with on the fly."

"…Too smart?"

Joseph shook his head.

"Too dangerous. Reminded me of something I might've come up with in my heyday."

The two reached the second floor, where it seemed all of the encyclopedias and reference books were contained. Compared to the fiction and nonfiction on the first floor, the collection on the second level was much smaller, not to mention more untouched.

Suki laughed nervously as she began to scour a shelf.

"You'll…think it's dumb."

"Try me."

Suki sighed.

"Okay, well…" The girl scratched her cheek embarrassedly, "I looked out at all the snow, and it reminded me of these Christmas movies I used to watch when I was younger. I'd always wanted to go sledding, and then that idea just came to me then. That was… a little more exhilarating than I imagined it to be."

"No kidding," Joseph remarked. He seemed to remember something, as he snapped his fingers, "Oh, we _did_ miss it, didn't we?"

"Missed what?"

"We missed Christmas!" Mr. Joestar sighed, "I knew we would when we went over the route, but it's still disappointing."

 _Well, at least I'm not alone in my sentiments,_ Suki thought.

"Maybe, after we've beaten Dio, we can all get together and have a party, to celebrate!" Suki suggested, "I mean, I don't think it would be a Christmas party at that point, but it could kind of make up for it."

Just as Joseph was about to respond, the man felt something different from the roughness of the pages as his finger had stopped on one encyclopedia in particular. Pulling this tome out from the shelf, he saw that a page had been bookmarked with something that had been bunched up between the papers. As he flipped to the bookmarked page, his eyes widened, as he removed a long, thin, white strip of cloth that had been folded up. His eyes flashed with recognition, as he realized the importance of this object.

"This is Abdul's headband!"

The annoyed groans of the readers went unheard as Suki and Joseph were transported into another memory, a bright, eerie light enveloping them.

The two opened their eyes to a dark city street. The buildings were so high that they could only barely see the moon hanging over the dry area. Several alleyways branched off of the main path in which they had awoken. This place had been bustling recently, judging by the brick pathways covered in disturbed layers of dirt; however, the silence and bevy of closed signs sitting in the windows of the shops lining the road expressed without words that the city was currently asleep, or preparing for such a state.

Suki and Joseph recognized the area.

"This is…Khan el-Khalili!" She murmured, distantly remembering when she and her mother would shop together at the bazaar.

"Yeah…Abdul's shop should be near here…" Mr. Joestar added.

"Wait, really?" Suki was awestruck.

The old man nodded.

 _And yet, our paths never crossed…_ She thought.

"Well, I think it'd be safe to assume that his memory will take place there…" Suki mused with a hand to her chin, "Do you still remember where it is, Mr. Joestar?"

"Hey, I might be old, but I'm not senile!" He shot back, "Of course, I remember! Follow me!"

"Okay," Suki agreed with a nod, beginning to keep pace with the old man leading the way.

 _It still kind of boggles me that Mr. Joestar and Jotaro are related…_ Suki pondered, _I mean, they both have a sort of intrinsic cunning that's unique to them, but, at the same time, outside of battle, they're on completely opposite ends of the volume spectrum…_

"So, we're going to be seeing something that only Abdul remembers, right?" Joseph's question snapped Suki out of her thoughts.

"It'll definitely be something Abdul remembers, but I don't think it would have to be _exclusive_ to him…" The girl folded her arms as they walked through the sleepy streets, "The pattern I've seen so far, comparing my memory and yours, is that it's something that affected the person remembering on a deeply emotional level. The memory might not have affected them so dramatically when it occurred, or it might have lost impact over time…Either way, it's a powerful event, or it relates to a powerful event…That's what I've been able to piece together.

"Also…I'm sorry."

"What for?" Mr. Joestar asked.

"I didn't mean to pry into your personal life," Suki winced as she remembered the memory that had played out in front of her, "And I definitely didn't mean to see something that's so sensitive."

"You wouldn't have been able to help me out if you hadn't seen at least part of what happened there, though."

"I-I know, but, still…sorry."

Joseph briefly looked at the starless night sky before turning his gaze back to the path and sighing.

"After everything was said and done, I still did think about what happened. There were things I wished I had done. Things I wish I hadn't said. As the years went by, I stopped having those thoughts. He probably would have punched me in the face for moping for so long."

"He must've been a really close friend of yours…"

"I'd never had a brother before. I didn't feel that way when I was training with Caesar."

The old man shook his head.

"Either way, you only saw that because of that young woman who attacked us. You called her Michel, right?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Suki responded, somewhat startled by Mr. Joestar's quick recovery, "She's a friend of mine. She made the outfit I wore when I met you guys!"

"Huh. Well, I guess, when we get out of here, we can decide whether to solve this with words or fists."

"Y-Yeah…"

 _At least he's willing to consider words… I think._

"Speaking of friends," Suki started, aiming to lighten the mood as they continued on their path, "How did you meet Abdul, anyway? I remember you said he was an old friend of yours…"

"It was a few years back. I had to travel to Cairo for a few days for an industry conference, and my wife was dead-set on coming with me. Somewhere along the way, she had heard about this really proficient fortune teller in the area, and she begged me to sneak away from the conference just for long enough so we could meet him together. After getting a reading from this fortune teller, it didn't take long for me to deduce that he was a Stand user. He had had his suspicions about my own Stand as well, but we quickly found out that neither of us bore ill intent."

Suki stared at Joseph with an expression of rapt attention, as though begging for him to go on.

"If you haven't guessed, that fortune teller was Abdul."

"Well, I figured _that_ much," Suki remarked snidely.

"At the time," The old man continued, "I barely knew anything about what my Stand was, or how it even worked. Abdul was able to notice this within only a few, short interactions with me. He even offered to help me. I didn't really have anyone else to go to for questions, so I ended up returning to his shop the next day, and the day after that. When it was time for me to return to America, I found I had spent more time talking with him about Stand mechanics than I had spent going to the convention. I exchanged contact information with him, in case I had any other pressing questions. Before I left, though, I made sure to warn him about Dio."

"Huh…that's surprisingly mundane," Suki commented, scratching the back of her neck, "Kind of makes me wish I had met you guys under calmer circumstances."

"There it is," Joseph pointed out.

Sure enough, further down the path was a small shop, with a sign hanging over a softly bright-colored awning, both above an unassuming entrance with no door. The sign read, "Spellbound" in Arabic characters.

The two took a cursory glance of their surroundings. Then, without words, they entered the building.

Not much grabbed the eye on the humble first floor of the shop. A pair of quietly-glowing lamps hung from the ceiling on long strings over a wooden desk almost pushed against the back wall. On this desk sat a small incense burner and a sign that read, "With another customer. Will return soon."

"Maybe he's on the second floor?" Joseph suggested.

The stairs were back near the entrance. The two began to climb the dimly lit path, not quite assisted by the cool night reflected past the latticed windows along the wall. As they ascended, a dull hum of voices reached their ears.

"So, that's it, then…"

Suki stopped short.

 _That…voice…_

She followed Joseph up the rest of the stairs, turning the corner at the top into a much more decorated room.

Softly lit, just like the first floor, several bookcases lined the walls surrounding a wooden table. On the table sat several Tarot cards placed neatly in a Celtic spread. On either side of the table sat cushioned chairs, occupied by Abdul, furthest from the entrance, and what looked to be a woman, covered by a cloak.

"This is the situation and probable outcome, if things progress as they are. You still have choices. Such an outcome is avoidable, if you take the proper measures."

...

The woman stood and slowly turned, making her way to the door. Even in the dim light, Suki would recognize the contours of such a face anywhere.

"Mama…?"

 _And yet, our paths_ never _crossed…_ The girl thought, _It…makes sense. The fortune teller she's been seeing, her recognition of the name Abdul…_ Suki shook her head, _of course. I should've realized sooner._

"Yui, I'm not going to charge you for this, if that is what's worrying you."

Ms. Kanao sighed.

"It…doesn't have to change."

"What are you talking about?" Abdul began, walking around the table to the door. As Suki and Joseph retreated into the corner of the stairwell to avoid detection, they looked over the table to spot the sleeping body of the man they had been seeking out.

 _Abdul…_

"Were you not paying attention to the reading? You're going to-!"

"I know. It's fine."

She continued further, to the top of the staircase.

"You said you had two children, didn't you?"

She stopped.

"They're both old enough to strike out on their own. They can take care of themselves, I know it."

"But, you-"

"Mohammed," She turned to the man, taking a deep breath. As she did so, the two waiting in the darkness noticed that there was now an opening to creep into the room; however, what they believed to be the shadow was still dangerously close. As such, they moved near a millimeter at a time, careful beyond compare not to make a sound.

"I've spent eight years listening to the acidic words of the other people I've called my neighbors. I can completely mute the distracting noises when they point at me, but, no matter how much those people smile at my kids, they can't hide what they think of them.

"I appreciate your kindness towards me, but, if I'm going to die, I think that will do more good than harm."

Suki's breath caught in her throat, nearly choking her.

 _Mom is… She's going to…?!_

A nudge at the middle of her spine encouraged her to keep moving, despite the shock of the revelation.

"Yui, please, don't be hasty!" Abdul exclaimed, in the most frantic state either had seen him in, "Don't just throw your life away for no reason…!"

Ms. Kanao laughed sadly.

"I wasn't born for no reason. Of course, I had a purpose in this world, at one point. I'm not going to die without a reason either.

"I created beautiful children, and I lived a loving life with my husband. Then, he left. My family drifted away from me. They stopped asking when I would come visit. And now…Even one of the children I was allowed custody of left me with almost no warning."

Yui Kanao smiled at Abdul.

"I've served my purpose. The world doesn't need me anymore."

...

"If you're still worried about the kids, don't be. I've been working for the past six years to make sure they would be able to fend for themselves, if I suddenly keeled over."

Ms. Kanao turned and began to step down the stairs.

"No one wants you to die!"

She stopped.

"You aren't even taking into account how your children will feel if you leave them!" Abdul tightened his hands into fists at his sides.

...

"My children…They're strong. I _know_ they are. It's…better for them, if they live their lives completely separate from me. I've only been a burden, and that's what I'll continue to be, until something happens."

Abdul was silent.

In that time, Suki and Joseph were able to sneak into the room that held the real Abdul. Mr. Joestar reached Abdul first, as Suki stood near the doorway, deciding to shut the door just as the shadow turned around, his now-red eyes gleaming in the darkness.

"Wake him up, Mr. Joestar!" She said, as she began to shove one of the bookcases into position to block the locked door.

The old man reached out to his friend, grabbing his shoulder. At that moment, the two were engulfed in an eerie light and disappeared.

 _Huh, so we completely disappeared from sight..._ Suki mused, _well, hopefully it won't take long…Why do I smell something burning…?!_

Turning back to the door, the girl saw the beginnings of a fire flickering to life, quickly encasing the top of the bookshelf in flames. Acting on pure instinct, she formed a watery sword and swung it at the flames, dispelling it and throwing the water onto it. This seemed to achieve nothing, as the fire continued its growth. Looking behind her, the girl gritted her teeth with a panicked expression.

 _Hopefully it won't take_ long _!_

* * *

"Can I even change this?"

Joseph sighed, as he stood across from his friend in a familiar misty landscape.

"You're always worrying about other people. I swear you would worry yourself to death, if you weren't careful. But, I know you're reasonable. I don't know if you've put it together yourself, but that woman is Suki's mother."

Abdul raised his head slightly at this statement.

"Suki's got a strong will. I don't know much about her mother, but a resolve like hers had to have come from somewhere."

Mr. Joestar closed the distance between himself and his comrade, standing directly over the man.

"Ms. Kanao understands how trying this journey is. She wouldn't let herself perish before it's over."

Joseph held his hand out.

"There's still time. Let's give them hell."

...

The fortune teller put his hand in his friend's hand and pulled himself to his feet. After taking a deep breath, he smirked at Joseph.

"Acknowledged, Mr. Joestar."

The two exchanged a firm handshake before the light enveloped them once more.

* * *

Suki blinked, and they were suddenly back. Abdul was standing, just as well as Mr. Joestar. Suki smiled with teary eyes.

"Good to have you back, Abdul."

The sound of wood crashing into the floor yanked the girl's attention back to the entrance she had been standing in front of, as she vaulted over the table to put some distance between herself and the enemy.

What crashed through the doorway was what looked like some sort of gray automaton, adorned with an ash-covered, black robe and covered from head to toe in rapidly blinking red eyes, likely trying to keep smoke from the quickly growing fire out. On his back sat a continuously spinning wheel of flames. The creature held a burnt stick in each hand, as he directed all of his gazes toward the trio.

"Quieter than I'd expected…Then again, he doesn't seem to have a mouth," Suki commented.

As the raging inferno steadily grew to surround the three, Joseph and Abdul turned to each other and exchanged a nod. Before Suki could ask any questions, the old man rushed forward and kicked the table in front of them upwards as hard as he could. The desk smashed into the shadow's face with a sickening crack, the impact forcing all of his eyes to close from the combined stress of the shock of the impact and the smoky room.

As the automaton recovered, he looked down to only see a sea of flames where the three people had once stood. The creature finally spoke in a pained voice.

"Don't you know the fires of fate are _mine_ to control?!"

 _So, he_ can _talk…_ Suki realized absentmindedly.

As the shadow stepped forward, he found something pulling at his leg. Looking down, he noticed, too late, a tripwire formed by Hermit Purple's vines, extending from the user to a bookcase on the other side of the room. Joseph smirked as the titan fell forward, crashing into the back of the room amongst splintering wood.

"You…!"

The monster reached to grab Mr. Joestar. Before his eye-covered hand could reach the old man, his target was yanked away by a transparent whip that had been wrapped around his waist. As Suki pulled her ally to the doorway, Abdul formed a thumbs-up at his hip, flicking it down, then back up.

"Tch! Tch! Don't _you_ know these flames bend to my own will? Try cloaking your presence in them, forging your own path through them, and _then_ come talk to me about the fires of fate bending to _your_ will!"

As soon as Joseph reached the door, Suki turned to Abdul.

"Right, now we run!" She exclaimed, grabbing the fortune teller's wrist and rushing down the stairs.

"Why are we running?"

"We can't kill these things. Right?" Mr. Joestar asked for clarification.

Suki nodded.

They reached the front step of the shop just as they heard heavy footsteps thundering behind them. Joseph addressed the two behind him as he led them forward.

"Let's smoke him out!"Abdul turned to Suki.

"Could you summon a water weapon? Any will do."

"Yeah, I've got it!" Suki agreed, forming a watery saber in her hand.

Oddly enough, Abdul adjusted her wrist's positioning, so the blade hung behind them as they ran. Only when he summoned a small, flickering flame in the palm of his hand did Suki put the pieces together on what the plan was.

 _Oh, a smoke cover! Or, more of a steam cover!_

As the fortune teller placed his open palm under the water, a trail of steam began to follow them, quickly condensing into thick clouds that functioned like a fog. The automaton exited the building only to see an unending expanse of thick white vapor left in the wake of the escapees. He desperately tried to follow, but only ended up tripping due to his lack of vision under such conditions.

 _Right, let's keep going!_ Suki thought with a smile.

The three fell into the bright light they had been running towards, returning to the town once more in a haze.

* * *

"Kyuu, we need to talk."

"What is there to talk about?" The man asked, not even turning to look at Michel as she joined his stride down the buzzing Cairo boulevard. The two had to project just to hear themselves, much less hear each other.

"I'm sorry if I was rude the other day at the store, but I'm honestly concerned. I met Suki eleven years ago. We don't talk much, but I know what she was like at age seven, and it's no different from how she's acting now. You're under a lot of stress, and I know you're protective of her, but this is ridiculous. They'll put her in a madhouse, with how childishly she acts!"

"…That's not a concern."

"What do you mean, 'that's not a concern'? Are you just gonna keep her from seeing anyone while you treat her like a baby, past the point where she'd be wearing diapers again?"

"You're saying I coddle her."

"It's…more than that…"

"…Are you jealous of her?"

Michel took a deep breath.

"I miss you. I feel like we've only been growing apart, ever since your dad and little sister left. I don't want to lose you, Kyuu. Can't we talk about what's bothering you?"

Kyuu bowed his head.

"Don't you trust me?"

The man continued to walk.

The young woman moved in front of him, taking him by the shoulders, subsequently halting his motion.

"Please, just talk with me! I'm begging to be someone you can talk to!"

...

"…There's…no point."

Kyuu brushed past Michel.

Michel turned to look at him.

She clenched her fists at her side and yelled out at him.

" _Just let me in!_ "

At this, a humanoid, wraithlike figure emerged from Michel. The spirit only had indentations where the eyes and mouth would be. It was bare, covered in miniature multicolored glass panels, reflecting light like a disco ball under the sun's rays. Its head was adorned with small glass spikes, as though it was trying to emulate a bizarre hairstyle. The only article of clothing on the spirit was a black glove on its right hand, only reaching the wrist. Michel's eyes widened like saucers, as the ghost removed the glove on its hand, a ghastly, dark aura emanating from the appendage.

"Wh-What…?"

Noticing the change in his friend's tone, Kyuu turned around, his expression growing shocked as he looked upon the reflective spirit.

"A Stand-!"

Too quickly for him to react, the Stand shot out dark tendrils from its right hand, forcing them into Kyuu's skull. He tried to gasp or shout, but his voice betrayed him, as he fell to the ground, unconscious. Some of the people milling about stopped short to gawk at the spectacle of the man falling for presumably no reason. The girl rushed over to her friend's unconscious body, breathing a sigh of relief after checking his pulse. Michel looked up to the figure hovering over her and Kyuu, her features contorting in concern.

"Why…did you do that…?"

The spirit did not respond. It merely spread its arms out to either side.

Suddenly, all light vanished from the world.

Michel looked about frantically, desperately trying to see through the shadows.

All she could see was the wraith.

As suddenly as the light had vanished, it came back; however, what Michel opened her eyes to was not the Cairo street she had been standing in. Rather, she was standing in a house she recognized.

Not her own house, but that of Kyuu.

As she looked about, she realized that she stood at the top of the stairway, and, creeping to the bottom of the stairs, his back turned to her, was Kyuu. Something was different about him, though. Even from the poor lighting, Michel could easily discern the black ponytail and broad shoulders to belong to Kyuu, but they were currently being worn by a much smaller figure. A child of about eleven or twelve years old. As she looked on, Michel turned upon feeling a presence next to her. The mirror-covered figure hung in the air over her lackadaisically.

 _I know…This has happened before…But Privacy has never acted without my direct command… Why now?_ Michel wondered, following the boy down the stairs as quietly as she could.

Nosy is one thing her previous activities with her Stand could be called. As she laid the memories of those around her out in front of her like a patchwork quilt, she found more and more scenarios she could bring to life with her drawings, capturing the true passion behind every word spoken, every facial contortion created, with each consecutive stroke of her blunt-tipped pencil. She simply wanted to draw. As such, she never became involved in these memories she reconstructed in physical form.

This was the first instance in which her motivation had not been to create, but to fix.

As she hovered over her friend's back, she craned her neck around the corner to see the sources of the muffled voices she had heard from the top of the stairs. A man and a woman stood in the living room. The woman was Kyuu's mother, without a doubt. Even with her back turned, her healthy black locks and firm, lean muscles were distinct from most other women Michel had come in contact with. The man was taller, and yet somewhat lanky in frame; however, even with his face turned towards the stairs, his expression was blurry, as though a camera lens had caught this man on film, but in motion.

"Steve, please, can't we talk about this outside? I don't want to risk the kids hearing it…" The mother worried.

"Yui, the kids will find out anyway."

"What…What do you mean? It's just…"

The man breathed a heavy sigh.

"I can't…I just can't do this anymore. We've been trying to make amends for what happened ten years ago. We've been doing this for _ten years_. I just…" He ran a hand through his short brown hair, "I can't get over it."

Mrs. Kanao seemed taken aback, as she raised a hand to her face. She was completely silent, as her husband continued.

"I wanted to make this work again. I really did. For the sake of what we had for so long. For the sake of little Suki and Aoi. For _your_ sake. But…" His deep brown eyes grew sad as he seemed to admit this as much to himself as to the woman in front of him, "Every time I see _that boy…_ I'm reminded that what we had was broken."

Kyuu's father took a deep breath.

"That boy doesn't belong here. He isn't a part of our family. He hasn't been, and he never will be."

"What do you want me to do, throw him out in the street?" Mrs. Kanao sighed, "…It was… a mistake, I know…"

Kyuu backed up from the corner, startled as he phased through the incorporeal body of Michel looking on. As the girl turned to look at her friend's face, the voices of his parents dulled into faint buzzing, as tears pooled in his eyes.

"I was…a mistake…?"

"Kyuu…"

Michel called out in vain. There was no way for her to interfere with her friend's memories. There was no way to comfort her friend in this moment long since past.

Kyuu simply bowed his head as he quietly made his way back up to his room, careful to keep himself stable as he gripped the railing, his knuckles turning white.

Silence pervaded the area, as the voices of the two parents gradually faded into empty air.

...

Michel blinked, and she suddenly stood at her friend's back, in the living room. Kyuu was now at the age she recognized, as he stood several centimeters taller than his mother, who looked at him from the other side of the room, next to the kitchen. Her hair was unkempt, and her frame was thin, as she looked on at her son. Kyuu folded his arms.

"You told me I could give that necklace to the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, right?"

"I did, but…Why do you want to marry your little sister?"

...

"I want you and Suki to be happy. If Suki wants to act younger than she is…As long as she's responsible about it, I don't want to take something away that she finds joy in. But this…This is…"

"Mom, I love her, and she loves me. We'll be happy together. It's fine-"

"It's _not_ fine, Kyuu! It's…It's _sick_! You can't inbreed with your sister! There is so much wrong with that, I don't know where to start!"

"Well, what the hell is it gonna take for you to consider me part of the family, huh?!"

Ms. Kanao's eyes widened as Kyuu continued his tirade.

"I love my little sister, but she's gonna grow up eventually. If I can restrain it for long enough, keep Suki in her young mentality for as long as I can, then, when the time comes, she'll be someone I can't call my sister anymore. She'll be so different that I won't even recognize her. It'll be okay to be with someone like that, who I can't recognize to be my sister, and I'll finally…I'll _finally_ be someone you can call son. If you can't see me as your birth son, I'll settle for son-in-law…"

...

"…I just…I just want to belong here."

...

"…What Steve said all those years ago… _That's_ what this has been about?" Ms. Kanao asked.

Kyuu was silent.

"You know I don't agree with anything he said, right? Of course you belong here. You're my son. You don't have to do anything more to prove that to me."

"You said…You said I was a _mistake_ …"

The mother appeared to think back for a moment, before she shook her head.

"Honey, I said what I _did_ …Leaving Steve that one night… _That_ was a mistake. _You_ were not. You _aren't_ a mistake," Yui explained, as a soft smile grew on her face, "You're my boy, and I love you."

"No…You're just saying that…"

"If I didn't love you, I wouldn't have given a second thought to throwing you out in the street. I wouldn't have raised you, no matter how much Steve didn't like the idea. From the moment I first held you in my arms, you've been my sweet boy. Every day, every hour, every second I've spent with you, I've wanted you to be happy with all of my heart. I'm sorry…" Ms. Kanao rubbed at her watering eyes as she continued, "I'm so sorry that you went this long thinking that I hated you. I could _never_ hate you."

...

Ms. Kanao held her arms out, offering an embrace to her son.

"Please, can't we just…Start over?"

...

...

...

"…I have to go."

With those curt words, Kyuu made his way to the door, brushing past his mother as he exited the building. As though awakening from a trance, Ms. Kanao rushed outside, as Michel followed the pair out the door.

"A-Already? Kyuu, I thought you had two more days before you…before you went back to him…!"

"Don't stop me, Mom."

"But, Sweetheart-!" She called, reaching out to him.

"Mom!" Kyuu turned back, locking his mother in place with a cold stare.

"I'm leaving now. I'll keep in touch, but if you speak of _any of this_ to my little sis…I'm never coming back."

With that, the man turned and began walking down the street once more, as the tears finally spilled over his mother's cheeks, her sobs growing muffled as the vision displayed by Privacy slowly dimmed into darkness. Privacy rejoined her user's figure without a sound.

Michel took a long blink, her senses slowly coming back to her as she looked around at the gawking crowd. What she saw appeared to have taken no real-world time, as apparently no doctor had been called to wait on the unconscious man in her arms. As she looked down at her friend, he stirred, grumbling sleepily as he slowly opened his eyes. Kyuu's eyes eventually adjusted to seeing Michel holding him. Upon registering this sight, his eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly, fixing Michel with a sharp glare.

"You saw…Didn't you?"

Michel was taken aback. This was the first case where the person she'd used Privacy on actually recognized what had happened as her delving into their memories. All of her previous subjects had brushed off what had happened as an odd dream and went on their merry way.

Was it because Kyuu also had a Stand? Or was it some other reason? He was cognizant of her sifting through his secrets, but how much did he know she had seen? Was he just forced to sit back and watch as she looked her fill?

Michel was given no time to answer these questions, as Kyuu swiftly stood and began to walk away once more, despite the odd glances of the gathered pedestrians. The girl reached out after him.

"Kyuu, wait…Please…"

The man did not even stop, keeping stride away from the group of civilians. Michel grappled with anything she could say or do to make the man stay.

She found nothing.

A solitary tear fell from her eye as she curled up in a ball on the ground and began to sob.

* * *

"I believe I understand the concepts surrounding this Stand; however, there is something that bothers me…" Abdul remarked, after Suki and Joseph had finished explaining Michel's Stand, as far as they knew, "Why would Michel not take the opportunity to attack us here? Not only were we prone when we returned here, but we were also unconscious. And yet, such an opportunity was not acted upon."

"That's…true," Mr. Joestar agreed.

Suki folded her arms.

 _Even if she isn't actually an enemy of ours, Whit told her not to hold back…_ She thought, _is she just disobeying orders, then? If so, why?_

Abdul shook his head and stood up off the floor, adjusting his headband as he did so.

"Regardless, our first priority should be to find Polnareff, Kakyoin, and Jotaro. Where shall we go next?" The fortune teller asked, looking between his two allies.

"Well, I think we kind of got lucky the past couple of times. I happened to find a dog carrying Mr. Joestar's hat, and then we happened to come across a bookstore," Suki shrugged, "There's no telling _exactly_ where someone will be, but I think if we have an affinity as a base, we'll be starting off strong."

"Hm. I might have an idea as to where he could be located. Let us step outside."

Joseph and Suki exchanged a look before following the fortune teller's suggestion and walking out of the bookstore.

Outside, the streets were completely silent.

No footsteps echoing off of the brown brick roads, no voices bouncing off the walls of the alleys and main path. Not even a wind whistling through the abandoned area.

What had once been a lively, bustling area was now a lifeless husk of a settlement.

"It…wasn't this quiet when you first got here, right?" Joseph asked.

Suki shook her head.

 _I feel like…the memories Michel has been showing me_ are _connected to the state of this town…_ She mused, _now I kind of miss the hustle-and-bustle from earlier…_

"This silence is quite unsettling. Hopefully we will not need to remain here long," Abdul expressed, "Magician's Red!"

The avian Stand emerged from behind his user. The spirit clapped his hands together, birthing a tiny flame. The ember hovered in the air between the Stand's hands before bursting into a small flaming cross with a third fiery line extending through the middle. At each end of the three connected lines was a flickering flame. The object Abdul had created, in Suki's mind, seemed somewhat reminiscent of a compass.

"This is a life detector. It can sense the movements of humans and animals, cutaneous respiration, and it is even able to detect Stand energy."

"Wait, but aren't we basically in a Stand's domain right now?" Suki asked.

As if in response to her question, all six ends of the detector began to spark and fizzle wildly. Joseph flinched back, but Abdul seemed completely unfazed. With a wave of his hands, the flames on the detector calmed to quiet, crackling embers.

"There. Now it should only detect Stand energies that are disconnected from our enemy."

"Since our life forces and Stand energies seem to be tied to the objects we're looking for, having a detector for those energies will make our lives easier! Nice idea, Abdul!" Mr. Joestar praised.

Abdul chuckled.

"You flatter me, Mr. Joestar. Now then," He started, turning back to the life detector. The flaming detector began to float further in front of the trio, leading the way down the path as they began to walk, "As long as it lies within fifteen meters, the detector can tell how big something is, and which direction it's in."

"Huh. That's a really cool ability, Abdul!" Suki expressed with a grin.

Abdul was silent in response. The girl tilted her head with a concerned expression.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"…I feel I should apologize. I would've told you about your mother sooner if I had only managed to put the pieces together," The fortune teller stopped and turned to the girl. With a breath, he continued, "I'm sorry."

Suki blinked. She then cast her eyes away.

"You don't have to apologize. That wasn't…That wasn't your fault."

She shook her head and smiled.

"Besides, I know she would at least warn me if she was planning on leaving. I also know she isn't the type to leave before she's seen things through to their end, and she _definitely_ wouldn't want to leave before seeing a world without Dio."

 _I don't want them to worry. So, I'm done crying and fussing over every little thing,_ Suki thought, _still, though…When I get home…I'm gonna beat this depressive state. I'm going to give my mom a reason to be happy to be alive._

"By the way, how long have you known my mother? You must be close if you're on a first-name basis," Suki inquired.

"Almost seven years, now. She insisted I call her by her first name. Her casual behavior was…unappreciated. She was incredibly amicable, and a faithful regular customer. Yui was vague about her home life, but I was not deaf to the gossip floating about. I grew coarse to the mutterings of the other people who passed her in the bazaar. I worried for her, but she didn't seem to care about what other people thought of her. When those thoughts began to affect her children, however…well, you were privy to what she thought. She decided to conceal her appearance until the acidic comments disappeared, but when she let her guard down, the remarks only continued with more force. This was…a vicious cycle."

"I…see."

"I never would have been able to guess that you and Yui are related, though. You two look almost nothing alike," Abdul commented.

"We don't?" Suki asked.

"How does that work?" Joseph asked.

"Mr. Joestar, haven't you noticed that your daughter looks much more similar to your wife than you? In a similar vein, Jotaro seems to share almost no similarities with his mother."

"If we're going off that logic, then shouldn't Suki look more like her mother?"

"I do not believe that to be a rule that is set in stone, Mr. Joestar."

Suddenly, the detector began to spark on its north and west ends. Abdul turned his attention to the detector before looking up at the large sign over the building. He chuckled.

"As I thought."

The three walked into an expansive, dark room. Rows and rows of seats steadily ascended from the front to the back of the room, where the trio had entered. The only source of light was the large screen at the front, almost as big as the wall it was built into.

 _A movie theater?_ Suki thought, _I think it's a safe bet for any of us, really…_

Abdul quickly tamed the detector into a tiny ember, as he stepped forward to start looking for an object. Joseph stopped him.

"Wait, you might want to put that light out," He suggested.

"Why?"

"The people in the bookstore reacted when I made noise, so I thought carrying a distracting light around would aggravate them."

"It doesn't look like there are any people in this theater, though…" Suki observed.

"Then, I presume that there is no one to disturb," Abdul concluded.

With that, he began to walk down the stairs leading to the front row, as Suki and Joseph followed suit. Meanwhile, the movie that had been playing when they walked in continued without interruption. An older man looked to be coaching a group of boys in baseball, as he directed his voice to the infield, a baseball bat in one hand, and a ball in the other.

"All right, look alive! Let's get one out there!" The man turned to the umpire behind him, "Are you ready?" He returned to looking forward, holding his bat at the ready to swing, "Let's get one out there."

The man then weakly tossed the ball and pushed it slightly forward with the bat. The ball landed in the grass between home base and the pitcher's mound. After a moment, he turned to the umpire behind him.

"Engelberg?"

"What?" The boy's response sounded quite annoyed.

"That is a bunt - B-U-N-T," He spelled out, "The catcher is supposed to pick up the bunt and throw it to first base."

"Well, how was I supposed to know?" The umpire shot back, standing and knocking his helmet off, "You made such a big deal yelling out to them."

The man sighed.

"Diversionary tactic, Engelberg. Now get the ball…"

"I think I saw something glinting under the seats…!" Suki noticed.

The light from Abdul's flame or from the large movie screen seemed to be reflected by a pair of small objects under one of the chairs.

Abdul stepped forward and bent down, reaching under the seat with his free hand, gently grasping the objects. As he pulled his hand back and looked closely at the objects, his eyes widened.

In his hand sat two earrings, which looked like two jagged halves of a red heart.

Of course, these belonged to Polnareff.

Just as the trio realized what Abdul held in his hand, an eerie light enveloped them, bringing them into another memory.

As Suki opened her eyes, she immediately had to close them again after looking up at the dark sky. It was raining. The wet grass was populated by rows upon rows of tombstones, most decorated with bouquets of flowers. A few hundred yards away stood a church with stained glass windows.

 _A cemetery…_ Suki thought, _if this is Polnareff's memory, I'm not looking forward to what I'm gonna be shown._

As the trio looked around for their ally, Suki spotted a man walking along one of the pathways, holding an empty, closed jar. Suddenly, the man tossed the jar behind him as he continued to walk through the rain. Suki's mouth fell open, as she rushed over to the discarded jar.

"Where the hell do you get off littering like that?" She scolded the man from afar.

The person did not seem to hear her, or simply chose to ignore her. Either way, this only served to bolster Suki's anger. She shook her closed fist at the man as she shouted at him.

"Come back here and pick up after yourself! Ayreh Feek!"

" _Suki!_ "

The girl turned to see Abdul staring at her, clearly offended by what she had said. Meanwhile, Joseph just looked confused as to why his friend was insulted.

"Look, littering is deplorable, and terrible, and no one should do it. I feel very strongly about this," She defended.

"I can tell," Abdul expressed, "And I don't like it either, but to use such language…"

"Wait, what did she say?" Mr. Joestar asked.

Abdul sighed and leaned over to his friend, whispering the definition of the phrase into his ear. Joseph's eyes widened.

"Oh, wow," he marveled at such a powerful phrase. Realizing something, he turned to address Suki, "Wait, how did you know what that phrase was, but not-!"

"I had heard people shout the phrase before, but I didn't know about any colloquialisms for certain parts of the human body until recently!" She weighed the jar in her hand as she walked back over to her comrades, "I mean, look at this: it's still in perfectly good condition, ready to be used again."

Suki looked up as she placed the jar in her bag. As she caught a look of one particular tombstone at the end of a row, she spotted a man in a black suit standing in front of the grave. She would recognize him anywhere, even amidst the little light allowed by the rainy clouds.

"That's Polnareff…"

Abdul and Joseph joined their gazes with hers to focus on the same point. They all shared a collective nod as they decided to edge closer, carefully. The heavy downpour seemed to mask their footsteps as they approached the silver-haired man. As they closed in on his location, the subtle quakes of the man's shoulders became more and more apparent. All of a sudden, Polnareff dropped to his hands and knees. He punched the ground as hard as he could, as tears streamed down his face, masked by the rain.

"Damn it…God _damn it!_ "

Suki felt an undeniable tightness in her chest as she watched the memory unfold before her.

"Sherry… _Sherry_ …" He sobbed.

Abdul's expression seemed to darken, as Joseph tightened his hands into fists.

"I swear…I _swear_ I'll avenge you…I'll put your soul to rest…By making that monster _pay_ …!"

As the three came around the tombstone, they saw the stone was just short enough that they could see someone sitting against its back, someone they knew. Sitting there was Polnareff, fast asleep.

However, before they could get close enough to reach him, a pair of large bandaged hands bound by handcuffs burst out of the wet ground. The hands reached back and grasped Polnareff's sleeping body and burrowed back into the ground. As the three looked up, they saw the mirror Polnareff's body was completely limp, as though anything that was inside it had been vacuumed out, leaving only an empty skin. The creature that had captured the real Polnareff burst out of the ground, allowing the trio to get a good look at him.

This creature seemed to fall between the previous two, in terms of size. His entire body was bandaged, with thistles poking out between the gaps, aside from his head, which was covered by a helmet much like Silver Chariot's. Seven giant rapiers floated in an arc at the shadow's back as he floated in a meditative position. The hands that had grabbed Polnareff now covered his stomach, his crooked fingers covering the hole in his stomach where his captive resided.

"Hey, Abdul," Suki caught the fortune teller's attention, "How well can you control Magician's Red if it's raining?"

"Well, I don't see how much use fire can be if there's a steady supply of water actively working to douse it," He responded.

"Alright, then, I think the best course of action would be if Joseph and I attacked, and you went in to wake Polnareff up."

"Sounds good," Joseph agreed.

With that, as Abdul stayed back to wait for an opening, Joseph and Suki rushed forward. Immediately, they were met with a flurry of stabs by the arc of rapiers floating behind the shadow. Suki used the rainwater to form a shield as she kept running forward, meanwhile, Joseph ran out of the way of the swords, keeping a fair radius from the monster as he searched for an opening. As Suki approached, she formed a water whip in her other hand and swung it at the shadow's closest hand, allowing it to wrap around the wrist. She stopped short to yank against it as hard as she could.

The hand didn't so much as budge.

As she was distracted, the three rapiers that had been attacking Joseph came after her. She blocked the incoming weapons with her shield, until the last one was flying towards her. Waiting until the right moment, she forced her shield outwards, performing a well-timed shield bash. This attack seemed to momentarily throw off any controls held over the weapon. She swung her water whip up and grabbed the rapier by the hilt, pulling it down onto the ground. Firmly grasping the hilt, she dispelled her watery whip and began to dash towards the shadow once more. Blocking any incoming attacks with her shield or the sword she had obtained, once she had an opening, she readied the rapier and shoved it into the ground in front of her. Using her momentum to push her forward, she let the rapier bend as it carried her upwards like in an Olympic pole vault. As soon as she was above the monster's head, as he looked up to watch her, she formed a watery club in her hands and slammed it down into his head. Thankfully, this did seem to stun him, as Suki managed to land on his shoulder, while Joseph sprinted over to the side of the shadow and summoned Hermit Purple, wrapping his vines around the wrist of the shadow. The hand budged, but not enough to allow for an opening, as the monster quickly grew wise to their tactics and threw two rapiers at Suki, forcing her to leap off of his shoulder, while he sent the other five after Joseph, as he shouted and made his escape.

The pair quickly regrouped with Abdul, desperately trying to catch their breath.

"Dammit, his hands won't even budge!" Joseph swore.

"What the hell are we supposed to do?" Suki asked.

"Hmm…I've been thinking while you both were fighting," Abdul started, "You can't move his hands on your own, but what if he moves them for you?"

Joseph and Suki exchanged a look before turning back to Abdul, as he began to explain the plan he had come up with to them.

"Alright, let's try that!" Joseph exclaimed.

Suki nodded and brought out the jar she had picked up. Careful to open it so no rainwater would get in, she held the now open jar out to Abdul, who held his palm over the jar for a few seconds, forming a flame in the container. Suki then closed the jar. She knew the fire would not last long inside, but she had it on good faith that she could get to where she needed to use it in time.

Placing the jar in her satchel, Suki joined the two men in running towards the monster once more. The shadow threw all of his swords at the group at once. In response, Suki formed another large water shield, which Joseph and Abdul ducked behind, as the rapiers rained down. As the swords either stuck into the ground near the trio or had bounced off the shield onto the ground, Joseph acted quickly and summoned Hermit Purple from both hands, gathering up all of the swords and tangling them in his vines. Bringing them closer, the rapiers began to fight back, like rabid dogs on leashes, as they yanked Mr. Joestar around like a strong wind pushing an umbrella away during a severe storm. Meanwhile, Suki threw a water whip around the shadow's neck, using the rope to pull herself up as the monster began to flail around. Despite his best efforts, Suki was able to climb to the top of his back, wrapping her legs around his neck, knocking the helmet off with a determined shove. She then grabbed tightly onto the bandages lying underneath the helmet for a bit more support, as she reached into her bag and pulled out the little flame. Unscrewing the lid, she placed the opening on the shadow's head. Just as she'd expected, Abdul's flame gravitated towards the enemy's head and began to burn the bandages, and then the skin underneath. The shadow began to scream as Abdul calmly walked up to him.

"Well, now you have a choice: you can remove your hands and take the girl off, or you can sit there and have your skin seared off. What shall it be?"

With a pathetic roar, the shadow ripped his handcuffs apart and snapped his arms up to Suki, grabbing the girl and hurling her into the ground. Unfortunately for the monster, this was just the opening Abdul needed. As this was happening, the fortune teller broke into a run, launching forward at the fastest speed either ally had seen him run. He reached Polnareff within one second, as he touched his shoulder, and, once more, they were engulfed in an eerie light and vanished.

Mr. Joestar kept a firm hold on the swords with one hand, nearly getting dragged away as he worked his way over to Suki. Finally making it over to her, he offered her his hand. She coughed weakly.

"Hah, I think he broke something," She muttered with a pathetic laugh, "They shouldn't be gone long."

* * *

"Don't ask me what the point of going on is. You already know," Abdul explained.

"I wasn't gonna ask you that. Well, not exactly that," Polnareff responded, uncharacteristically quiet, "What's waiting for me at the end? That's what I wanted to ask."

"What's waiting for you?" Abdul repeated.

"I spent my life taking care of my sister, and making sure she was happy. She was…ripped away from me, and I set my sights on avenging her. Before I could even do that, you…I thought you died. I managed to avenge my sister, but I only did that after you saved me, at the cost of your own life. I wanted to avenge you, then. I don't want to think about if you had actually died that day, but I think that I would still feel like this. Beyond sticking it out with you to the end and defeating Dio, I don't…"Polnareff shook his head.

"…I don't have a purpose beyond that."

...

"…Self-pity is not a cloth you wear proudly."

Abdul stepped over to Polnareff.

"You don't have a purpose, you say? Then, what about the people you've met on this journey? These people that you've laughed with, cried with, fought alongside and confided in? Don't you want to spend more time with them? You've listened to Mr. Joestar, openly laughed with Kakyoin, tried to get Jotaro to open up, and you've opened up yourself to Suki, as she opened up to you. Would you say these people don't make you feel happy to be alive?"

...

"Whether or not you feel you have a purpose in life beyond finishing this fight, that is up to you; however…"

Abdul offered his hand to Polnareff.

"For the moment, won't you come back to us?"

...

Polnareff placed his hand in Abdul's and pulled himself to his feet.

"Heh, you forgot someone," He said, grinning.

Abdul cocked an eyebrow.

"I did all of those things, but I also cared about you, Abdul."

Abdul's other eyebrow joined the first in being raised. Polnareff's face flushed red.

"Look, what I'm saying is that, well…"

Polnareff took a deep breath.

"When…When we thought we had lost you, I realized something. A lot of things. I realized that I respected your strength, your will, and your selflessness. You always put other people before yourself. Even someone like me, who called you names and disrespected you in the beginning, was someone you wanted to defend. You're no coward, Abdul. You're a hero."

Abdul blinked.

"Polnareff…""And, I know I said some horrible things to you, and I was an asshole, and stupid. I was a stupid asshole. And I know it's bad to say I only realized these things after I thought I'd lost you, but there's that saying, that 'you don't know what you have until it's gone,' right? But, I still-!"

"Polnareff."

At this pause, Polnareff finally noticed that tears had been streaming down his cheeks without his knowledge. He wiped at his eyes with the heels of his hands.

"Damn it, shit, I just…I just missed you, okay? I missed you so much."

His last statement, intended as a murmur, reached Abdul's ears at a louder volume, sounding more broken, rawer than the other man had wanted to express.

Polnareff was startled in the next moment, as Abdul quickly pulled him into a tight embrace.

"A-Abdul, you-!"

"No more words. No more worries."

* * *

As the two men blinked back into existence, they immediately jumped into action.

"Silver Chariot!"

The silver knight phased into existence and began to furiously stab the point of his sword into the body of the shadow, flying about the monster's body and peppering it with holes.

"Magician's Red!"

The phoenix-like Stand followed Silver Chariot as quickly as he could, laying a hand on each of the holes the knight left, creating a small fire in each crater. The shadow screamed at the burning sensation, as it continued to be ignited in more places on his body. The shadow ripped its rapiers from Hermit Purple's grasp and aimed the rain of swords at the two Stands breaking and singeing his body. The creature raised his fists in the air, about to smash them into the two Stand users in front of him.

"Knight of Cups!"

The watery Stand emerged with a determined gaze, as she shot up to her allies' Stands and summoned a shield of water to block the weapons.

"Hermit Purple!"

Joseph summoned his purple vines with both hands and shot them towards Abdul and Polnareff, wrapping around their waists and yanking them back away from the monster. The shadow's fists connected with the ground, digging large holes into the soft dirt. Abdul snapped his fingers, and the flames he had planted in the numerous holes Silver Chariot had punctured flared up. The creature wailed in agony, unable to even move due to the pain. Joseph called Hermit Purple back as he deposited Abdul and Polnareff in front of him, quickly pulling the grounded Suki onto his back. Without words, the group knew their objective for that area had been completed, and so rushed toward the shining light of the exit.

"What made you take so long…?" Suki muttered weakly.

"You are vastly overestimating the time we were in there, Suki," Abdul explained with a chuckle.

"Besides, you're making it sound like we were doing weird stuff in there, or something!" Polnareff added.

"Well, I don't know, what _were_ you doing in there?"

" _Suki_."

"I think it's a perfectly innocent question, Abdul," Joseph defended with a grin.

The fortune teller sighed and shook his head.

"You two, I swear…"

"I'm glad you're back, though, Polnareff…" Suki expressed with a weak smile, "I was really worried."

Polnareff flashed a smile at her.

"Heh, it's good to be back."

* * *

The bright colors of the tailor shop in which Michel worked had become less and less of a comforting sight over the years, and more of a source of suffocation. The tapestries brushed up by the gust of wind that would follow the opening or closing of the entrance, the long table that curved before the entrance, the sewing machine pushed against the wall behind the counter. Racks and racks of clothes and hats were set in various places in the room.

It was oppressive, to the point Michel felt claustrophobic, as she sat in a daze behind the counter, trying to recreate an argument she'd seen between a child and his mother that day. Her pencil stopped short as she racked her brain for a full replay of the situation.

Suddenly, the bell hanging over the door chimed. A girl in a faded blue outfit wearing a cape walked in, her small mop of brown hair disturbed slightly by the wind.

It was Suki. Or, as she now preferred to be called, Akizuki Sukiyaki.

"Hiya, Michel!"

"Nice to see you, Sukiyaki," Michel greeted, cringing inwardly at the name. Dismissing her thought, she kept her attention fully on Suki, "What can I make for you today?"

"Uhm, actually, I didn't come here to order something," She confessed, clasping her hands behind her back and rocking on her heels, casting her eyes away. She swung her gaze back up to Michel as she explained her reason.

"I…came to say 'goodbye.'"

"Goodbye…?"

"Yeah. I guess you could say…I'm going on a journey."

… _Why is everyone leaving? First, Kyuu, now, Suki…_ Michel wondered, _wait, is she leaving_ because _her brother left? Is she going out to find him, or something? Or did something happen to him, and she's leaving to save him, or something?_

"Are you sure…that you'll be okay?" Michel asked.

Suki blinked, before grinning.

"I'll be fine! I'm not going it alone, so I'll be just fine!"

"Alright," Michel sighed, leaning forward onto the counter tiredly, "I wish I could go on a journey like you…You'll probably get to see so many different places, so many different sights."

Suki tilted her head to the side.

"What's stopping you from going on your own journey?"

Michel's eyes flicked behind her, staring at the stairs leading up to her and her grandmother's rooms. Seeing this, Suki asked another question.

"Have you ever asked her? Your grandma, I mean."

Michel seemed startled.

"N-No, I haven't, but…There's no point. There's no way she would say 'yes.'"

"You don't know that for sure."

"I…well…"

"That's up to you, though," Suki said, smiling. She then turned, waving as she made her way to the door, "Well, I'm off! Goodbye!"

"See you…"

The bell jingled once more, marking the girl's departure.

Michel returned once more to her drawing, her eyes scanning the page, once again trying to recall the details.

Her pencil wouldn't move.

Frustrated, she ripped the page out of the sketchbook, crumpling it into a ball. She held her hand high, as though she wanted to throw it on the ground. Her hand stopped mid-arc, as she brought the drawing back in front of herself. Slowly, carefully, she unfolded it, smoothing out the creases as best as she could.

 _Maybe…there is a point…_ She thought, _maybe, she won't say no…_

* * *

"No, you can't."

Night had fallen on the Cairo suburb. The shop had long since closed, and Michel and her grandmother had just finished eating dinner before the young woman had decided to pop the question about leaving, one week after her friend had left. Michel frowned as she responded to her grandmother's denial with another question.

"Why not?"

"Don't you remember?" Michel's grandmother asked, placing her hands on her hips, "Your mother slaved her life away to keep this shop open, and her mother before that, and then my mother before that. You think you can just throw this all away because you want to wander the world like some pathetic loner?"

"Grandma, I'm not going to leave forever! I just want to see what's out there in the rest of the world. I want to find new inspirations for my art, more than what I only see beyond my front step every day!"The grandmother looked confused. She shook her head and continued.

"Why are you wasting your life on little drawings when you could be doing something productive? Does this shop mean nothing to you?"

"It doesn't mean nothing-"

"The art of tailoring not only allows one to create beautiful works of art, but also creates protection for other people, or fixes already existing protection. Trivial pictures on paper can't do anything!"

Michel's face twisted in anger.

"Pictures can speak to a person in ways words never could! You don't understand-"

"No, I don't think _you_ understand just how much our family has devoted to this store for generations, young lady-"

"Well, how much is that devotion worth, if mom and everyone else before her had to _slave away_ to keep this store open?!"

Michel's head snapped to the side, as a smacking sound echoed through the closed store. Her cheek burned from physical pain and embarrassment.

Her grandmother had slapped her.

The older woman slowly lowered her aching hand.

"Just…go to your room. _Now_."

Michel took a shaky breath, before walking forward and gently ascending the stairs to her room.

As she shut the door behind her and locked it, she stared around the room. The walls were blank, undecorated, save for the few drawings she had received praise for. Her bed and desk were completely unassuming in their mundanity, and her closet had no secrets to hide.

Michel felt moisture gather in her eyes, a sob threatening to tear its way out of her throat.

" _What's stopping you from going on your own journey?"_

She took a deep breath and cleared her throat, masking the sob, and wiped her eyes with her forearm.

 _Nothing. Nothing's stopping me._

With that, the young woman rifled around in her closet, smiling to herself as she picked out a small duffel bag. Placing the bag on her bed across from the closet, she retrieved three changes of clothes, her life savings, her toothbrush, hairbrush, and soap. Finally, she picked up her sketchbooks and pencils and placed them in the top of the bag, giving the book a small pat. Finally zipping up the bag, she put her hands on her hips and exhaled a deep breath.

"Okay, that should do it," She murmured.

"Why, hello, lost lamb."

Michel shrieked and turned, stumbling and falling back onto the bed. She stared up with terrified eyes.

Standing in front of her was a clean-cut blond man, wearing a white bellhop uniform and what looked like a black choker with a red gem. What grasped Michel's attention the most were his sharp green eyes and his unfaltering, unearthly smile.

"Ah, my apologies. I did not intend to startle you. Please, carry no alarm. I do not hold wishes to harm you."

"P-Privacy!" Michel cried quietly, her voice dying in her throat as the mirror-plated figure emerged from her figure and lunged at the strange man.

"Inadvisable, Miss Jackson."

Her Stand greeted empty air, as the man blinked out of existence, only to phase back into reality directly in front of Michel, looming over her as he held a knife to her neck. Michel gazed up at him with a fearful gaze. The intruder sighed.

"I implore you, do not gaze upon me as though I were the perpetrator. Privacy ambushed first; I merely acted in self-defense."

"H-How do you…?"

Suddenly, a knock was heard on the door.

"Michel? Michel, what are you doing yelling up here? Why is the door locked?"

Michel could hardly form words.

"I'm coming in, anyway! Now, where is that key…?!"

"I shall make this as quick as I can," The blond man murmured hurriedly, glancing back at the door before locking eyes with Michel, "My name is Whit Houston, and I also am in possession of a Stand, called Look to You. I have been searching for Stand users of your caliber and ability in order to train warriors to defeat a creature by the name of Dio. If you choose to accept, you shall not only earn my assistance in beginning the journey you wish to embark upon, but you will also be able to assist Suki in what she desires to accomplish: rescuing those she loves."

Michel's eyes widened.

 _He's being so vague…He knows about Suki_ and _he knows about Stands, too…_ Michel thought, _what the hell… I'm considering negotiating with this weird guy who just broke into my house! Not to mention, he could just be lying to me to take advantage of me…_

Whit looked back to the door at the sound of the tumblers clicking in the lock.

"Do you accept, Miss Jackson? I am not a man who begs, but I merely wish to ask you: do you wish to change a future where Kyuu meets his untimely demise?"

Michel's breath caught in her throat.

 _Kyuu…dies…?_

The door burst open, as Michel's grandmother burst in with wild eyes, a key in one hand and a belt in the other.

"So, there _is_ someone else in here!" She exclaimed.

Something snapped in Michel's mind, as she squeezed her eyes shut and began to shout.

"I accept! I accept! Please, just get me out of here!"

Michel no longer felt the plush texture of her bed beneath her. She opened her eyes to see that they had somehow been transported outside of the tailor shop. Whit stood over her with an outstretched hand.

"Time is of the essence, Miss Jackson."

Looking to her side, Michel saw that her bag had been transported alongside her. She quickly shouldered it and took Whit's hand. He swiftly led her over to an off-road truck that had been parked a block away from the shop. Whit began to speak as he opened the driver's side door of the car.

"I understand this is not the most elegant of vehicles, but it shall function for our purposes," He explained, shutting his door. Michel met his eyes through the rolled down window. His smile seemed to drop slightly as he addressed her directly, "I believe I have already extended you an invitation, so there is no visible point in awaiting one."

Michel seemed to jolt out of her trance, as she nodded, dashing around the back of the vehicle to the passenger side, entering, and throwing her duffel bag in the back as she shut the door behind her.

"Right, then. Ignition," He said, turning the key and shifting gears. Whit replaced his hands on the undersides of the steering wheel as he accelerated down the dusty road.

Silence invited itself into the vehicle, as neither Michel nor Whit chose to speak up.

Finally, Whit broke that silence.

"I find it intriguing, that you would so readily agree to my proposition."

Michel said nothing.

"I could just as easily have been lying to you, in order to advance on you in a way that would cause you harm."

Michel propped her elbow on the door as she looked out the open window.

"Of course, I do not associate myself with such actions only befitting of swine. I had just contained a curiosity, wondering if you such a thought had crossed your mind."

Michel sat back in the chair, folding her arms across herself.

"You choose not to converse with people, or you find yourself unable to. In either scenario, I should refrain from pressing you."

"…I didn't care."

"Pardon me?"

"I didn't care if you were going to hurt me. I thought about it, but, seeing my grandma like that…I couldn't take it anymore," Michel's gaze fell, "I didn't see any other time I would get to escape like that, if I had said 'no,' so I decided the rewards outweighed the risks."

"Your conditions must have been far below sub-ideal."

The woman sighed, staring at the roof of the car and narrowing her eyes.

"I wanted to be free so badly…when the opportunity finally came to me, I didn't care how much I got hurt past that," She tightened her hands into fists, "I just didn't care."

...

Michel looked at Whit. His stare was blank, as though he couldn't process what he had just heard.

"Have you ever felt that way?"

...

"…I believe…I may have…"

Michel waited a moment more, before sitting back in her seat and closing her eyes.

* * *

"We have arrived."

Michel opened her eyes to see that the car had parked in front of an airport. The sign along the top of the building read, "Borg El Arab International Airport" in Arabic.

"But…I don't…I'm not…" The woman spoke groggily as she rubbed at her eyes.

"Here."

Michel looked at what Whit was holding out to her, and her eyes widened as they fell upon a plane ticket. Behind that ticket was a note with what looked to be very specific instructions.

"That shall ferry you to Aswan. The flight takes off in three hours. I have other matters to attend to as soon as you depart, so I have left directions for you once you disembark. I shall recover contact with you soon."

"W-Wait!" Whit stopped, his hand on the key, "I don't know how long you plan on having me wait there for whatever you have planned, but people are going to search for me. At least, I think my grandmother will hire people…"

Whit turned to Michel with his eerie grin.

"No one is going to find Miss Jackson. I have taken measures, and will take succeeding measures, to ensure that."

The woman finally took the ticket and note, and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Alright."

"I have not, however, taken measures to ensure your retainment of body heat."

With that, he began to unbutton his shirt. Michel jolted and turned away from the sight. Once he reached the last button, Whit shrugged off the article of clothing and held it out to the woman. He tilted his head.

"Such modesty is not required with someone such as myself. Why do you avert your eyes?"

"S-Sorry, I'm just…just…"As she turned back, she stopped momentarily upon seeing his scarred torso. She shook her head, "Besides, won't you be cold, without that?"

"Now, Miss Jackson," His grin turned into a smirk for just a hair's breadth of a moment, "What sort of man could I deign to be called, if I only had one shirt to my name?"

"A-Alright…" Michel agreed slowly. She stepped out of the vehicle carefully, pulling her duffel bag out of the backseat.

She turned back to Whit before she entered the building.

She took a deep breath.

"Thank you, Whit."

Whit nodded, as his smile seemed to be genuine for a half-second.

"No, Miss Jackson; I must be the one to express my gratitude to you."

* * *

Suki cracked her eyes open to a dark room. No light permeated the shadows that hung over her like a sheet.

 _Strange…_ She mused, _there was a movie playing in here before…What changed?_

As her eyes adjusted and she sat up, a chill began to worm its way down her spine as the shift in atmosphere of the abandoned theater finally reached her.

Copious amounts of cobwebs hung in the corners of the ceiling and scattered about the chairs. A layer of dust seemed to cake every surface in the room. The massive screen was busted, the stray wires and electrical components not even sparking.

Before, the town had felt lonely, but still livable; however, this theater gave off the vibe of being long abandoned, for months or even years at the time, to the point that only the dead seemed to roam. Suki could only hope that the town did not carry this same atmosphere.

Her other allies slowly woke up to the same sight and lack of sound, rising off the floor slowly and allowing their eyes to adjust to the darkness. Abdul and Joseph seemed as concerned as Suki by the shift in feeling, as Polnareff seemed to be oblivious to the change.

"We should get moving," Mr. Joestar suggested. Abdul nodded in response.

 _I guess they're used to dealing with weird situations like this…_ Suki thought, as she rose to her feet, folding her arms, _I think I'm the only one seeing these memories. At least, I can't think of a reason why she would show the others… But, why show me in the first place? Why have this town in some way reflect the memories she has? Or is this unintentional? Her Stand, Privacy, I think she was called, acted without her direct command at one point, so perhaps this could be her doing as well…?_

"Wait, Suki, you're standing!" Polnareff noticed.

The girl turned to the Frenchman and raised an eyebrow.

"Weren't you hurt really badly back in…France?" Polnareff shook his head, "Wait, how the hell were we there? What is happening?"

"Well, you see…"

Suki quickly explained what had been happening in as general and understandable terms as she was able.

"As for why I can stand now…I think it has to do with the fact that…" She took a deep breath, "Well, we're being tested."

"Tested?" Polnareff asked.

"Hm, now that I think about it…" Mr. Joestar thought aloud, bringing a hand to his chin, "Didn't your hands get injured back in my memory? But then, when we left, they were completely fine."

"If we were being tested, then…it _would_ make sense, as to why we were being healed between every trial," Abdul concluded, "But, why are we being tested in the first place?"

"Well," Suki started again, scratching the back of her neck, "You remember how Whit was telling us about 'preventing calamity, and all of that?"

"You're telling us that that bastard wants to make sure we're strong enough to take down Dio, and whatever the hell else that's going to try to destroy everything?" Polnareff suggested.

"Basically," Suki answered, "Michel is working for Whit, according to him, but she was told not to hold back. There's no getting rid of the threat of someone being seriously injured, so I didn't really see the point in explaining unless someone asked. I thought that'd be time better spent on trying to find people."

The girl sighed.

"Still, though, I feel bad for not telling you…"

"You had a valid reason for choosing to save this information for a different time," Abdul reassured.

"Besides, we don't need context to look for the others, we need the basic concepts! So, let's set out again!"

With that, despite the oppressive air around them, Joseph dashed up the stairs out to the street in front of the theater.

"Mr. Joestar, wait-!" Abdul called, before sighing. Seeming to realize something, he reached into his robes and pulled out the earrings he had found in that same location, "I nearly forgot; Polnareff, these are yours."

"Huh?" The Frenchman looked to the objects in the fortune teller's hand, before reaching a hand up and ghosting around where his earrings once hung. His expression grew even more confused than before.

Abdul, anticipating a question, chose to answer preemptively.

"The same occurred with my headband and Mr. Joestar's hat. No one knows what happened."

"…Well, thanks for keeping them safe for me," Polnareff expressed with a grin, gently taking the earrings from Abdul's hand.

"Holy shit!"

The three looked to the theater entrance in alarm, seeing Joseph standing unharmed through the glass on the door; however, this did not prevent them from rushing outside to join the old man before harm did come to him.

"Mr. Joestar, what is the matter?" Abdul asked, before turning his gaze in the direction his friend was looking. The other two followed suit, their eyes widening at what they saw.

The town's buildings were covered in muck and dust outside, clearly having been lost to time. Any warmth the town had had previously was nowhere to be found: no stars in the sky, no lanterns lit, not even the tiniest of breezes brushing through the dust; however, what startled the four were countless, faceless wraiths floating through the air above them, their wrists bound by rusty handcuffs. They appeared not to take notice of the group, seemingly unaware of any stimuli that occurred.

Abdul summoned the life detector without a word, acting immediately on the silent resolve of the group to hurry along. As he did so, a pair of spirits looked down at the flames. One of them waved its hands, somehow pulling the detector out of the fortune teller's grasp, up into the air. The other ghost reeled its hands back and smashed the fiery object between its palms. Opening its hands, a small ember wavered out, floating for a moment before being snuffed out completely.

"It seems as though our previous method for searching for the others will not function here…" Abdul concluded with a huff of irritation.

As Suki looked about for other options, she noticed Polnareff looking further down the main path, as if he was unsure of what he was sensing in that direction.

"Do you guys hear…music?" He asked.

"Music?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah," The Frenchman pointed down the path, "It sounds like a radio playing down that way."

Abdul appeared to listen for a second. Suki trained her ears on that direction. The fortune teller shook his head.

"I can't hear anything like music coming from that direction. I can hear static, but…"

Suki, on the other hand, heard the faintest of melodies playing through a thick layer of static that buzzed in her ears, even from however far the appliance playing the tune was.

Polnareff took several steps down the path. The others followed, before the silver-haired man stopped. As the group stopped behind Polnareff, Suki noticed that the song that was playing had lyrics to it. She could just barely make out the words as she strained her ears.

 _If it's a mirror you want just look into my eyes,_

 _Or a whipping boy, someone to despise._

 _Or a prisoner in the dark tied up in chains you just can't see_

 _or a beast in a gilded cage; that's all some people ever want to be._

"That's…I think that's a song by Sting…" Polnareff noted. Suki's ears pricked at the name.

"That's Nori's favorite band!" She claimed, a smile growing on her face at the prospect of finding another one of her comrades.

"Seaweed?" Joseph asked.

"I believe 'Nori' is a _person_ , Mr. Joestar," Abdul explained, a small smile turning up his lips.

Suki finally realized her mistake upon noting Abdul's reaction, amplified by Joseph putting the pieces together based on his friend's deduction, bringing a grin to his face.

 _Oh. I fucked up._

Flustered, the girl folded her arms and corrected herself.

"I mean… _Kakyoin's_ favorite band. So, let's just head in that direction, then," She said, joining Polnareff at the front of the group in leading the way closer to wherever the song was being played.

"Why is Kakyoin seaweed, though?" Polnareff asked as they began to walk once more.

"No, you see, seaweed doesn't have anything to do with this," Abdul corrected, "Kakyoin's first name is 'Noriaki,' so, from there…"

"Oh, I see!" The Frenchman realized, looking to Suki with a grin, "That's adorable!"

"D-Don't call it that!" She shot back with a pout, her cheeks heating up, "Calling it cute makes me embarrassed…"

"Sorry, Suki, but I can't lie to you," He laughed, patting Suki on the head, "You're just too cute!"

"Mrgh…" She grumbled.

"Ah, there _is_ music…Now, I hear it," Abdul said.

"I can hear it, too," Joseph added.

"I think we're really close," Polnareff guessed, as he began to run down the alley they had turned into in order to follow the sound.

"Wait up!" Suki called, rushing after him. Mr. Joestar and Abdul picked up their strides and followed the two to what had once been the warm, main plaza.

The lanterns that had stood upright in the middle were now bent at odd angles, and an eerie mist seemed to meander about the area. Even with the lack of city lights, the stars were still invisible to any who looked longingly at the night sky. The cobblestone that had once felt cool to the touch exuded a strong chill that rose up and wrapped around the group like snakes with no predatorial instinct. The once warm-looking café sat abandoned and dark, with no signs of life, present or past. The candles that had sat on the tables were either blown out on their untouched surfaces or broken and strewn about, alongside several other chairs and tables.

However, sitting in this café on a shelf in the back, was a small radio, playing the static-filled tune on loop. As the group approached, they found the radio was not the only object on the table. Next to the electronic device were a pair of round, red earrings, each attached to a short string. Suki easily recognized them, as she swiftly picked them up.

"These are his earrings, too…"

Once again, an eerie light flashed, transporting them to another memory.

The bright morning light and the healthy trees decorating the paved pathway they stood upon were a far cry from the intensely depressive atmosphere of the area from before. Most strikingly in contrast to the previous town was the large collection of teenagers wearing Japanese school uniforms, presumably all walking en masse to school; however, much like the civilians and ghosts of the earlier area, these students were faceless, devoid of any notable features. The group looked about for any sign of the person they were looking for. Polnareff pointed to a student standing at the top of the stairs further down the road, accented by an elegant red arch.

The student Polnareff had drawn attention to looked exactly like Kakyoin, wearing the exact same outfit and everything, save for a long white scarf he wore draped about his neck. Kakyoin stared back; however, his attention did not seem to be focused on the group of intruders in the memory. Rather, his eyes were locked on the tallest student in the crowd of teenagers, currently being followed by several female students rushing to catch up with the group. Suki nearly burst into tears as she laid eyes on the same student.

 _Jotaro…_ She shook her head, _I'll have to check, but this Jotaro is most likely just part of Nori's memory. Strange, that he's the only one with any sort of definition in the face, though…_

The girl rubbed at her eyes as she and the rest of the group began to follow the procession of students, scanning the surroundings for their ally. Meanwhile, the mirror image of Kakyoin began to descend the stairs, as Jotaro made his way to the steps.

"Morning, JoJo!" One of the female students called, dashing up to Jotaro's side.

"JoJo, morning!" Another girl said, jogging over to him.

"Morning!"

 _Huh, these girls seem nice,_ Suki thought, _but, Jotaro doesn't really like talking to people…_

"JoJo!" A third girl shouted. She immediately ran over and wrapped her arms around Jotaro's, destroying any sense of personal space he might have had by cuddling up to him, as she whined, "Hey, JoJo, how come you didn't come to school for four days?"

The first girl's face contorted in annoyance, as she moved her arm between the third girl and Jotaro, pushing his unwanted companion back a few steps and dislodging the first girl's grip while wrapping her own arm around Jotaro's.

"Hey, you!" The first girl chattered, addressing the clingy girl. The chattering girl let go of Jotaro's arm, "What're you doing, rubbing against JoJo's arm?"

"What's your problem, ugly?" The clingy girl shot back.

"You shut up, flat-chest!" The chattering girl responded venomously.

… _I see I spoke too soon,_ Suki thought, _well, now I get why he seemed to be so furious with me and Minaj when we were bickering back in Singapore._

Despite the inane, childish argument occurring behind him, Jotaro merely sighed and pulled his hat lower on his head.

"Ugly!"

"Flat-chest!"

"How dare you, ugly!"

"How dare you!"

"Enough already!" Another girl chimed in.

"Ugly! Ugly! Ugly, ugly, ugly!"

"Flat-chest!"

"Shut up, ugly!"

"Flat-chest!"

"I don't want an ugly girl calling me that, ugly!"

"I don't want no flat-chest telling me that either, you flat-chest!"

"Hey! Don't go near JoJo!"

"No, you! Stay away from JoJo! Walk behind us!"

"No, you go walk behind us!"

"This is where I always walk! Stop clinging to him!"

"You walk along the edge, not near JoJo!"

"Shut up! He's my JoJo. Don't touch!"

After a few more moments of useless bickering, they finally seemed to notice that the man they were arguing over had stopped on the stairs, staring down at Kakyoin. The honor student gazed back up at him out of the corner of his eye.

"JoJo?"

"What's wrong?"

 _They…No, I can't believe that they're being sincere…Not after arguing over him like some toy…!_

Standing near the back of the group, Joseph could easily see Suki trembling, her fingernails digging so hard into her palms that she drew blood. The old man laid a hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts. She took a deep breath and turned her head to face him, giving him a small nod of thanks.

Turning her attention back to the memory, Suki saw Kakyoin finally turn and continue walking, as Jotaro took one more step down the stairs. At this step, something slithered quickly out of the grass and cut his leg. The delinquent lost his balance at this sudden shock and began to fall down the stairs, amidst the shrieks of the crowd of girls behind him. Acting quickly, the man summoned Star Platinum, who grabbed a nearby tree branch. The branch broke under his weight, but served to soften his landing, as he hit the bushes on the side of the stairway. As Jotaro regained his bearings, he spotted Kakyoin walking into the forest. With a small struggle, the delinquent stood up, rushing after the honor student, without a care for the girls left on the stairs.

"This must be when Kakyoin attacked Jotaro, before he removed the fleshbud," Joseph explained, as the four followed closely behind Jotaro.

 _Oh, that's right…_ Suki remembered, _he did mention that briefly._

"This is strange, though. I don't believe he ever mentioned anything about how cognizant he was about the events, or what exactly he could remember," Abdul mused. He addressed Polnareff as they kept pace, "Polnareff, do you remember anything, from when you were fleshbudded?"

"Uh, kind of…?"He answered, scratching his head, "I remember fighting you in that park area…I can't really remember the specifics, though."

"Hm."

The four looked up to see Jotaro had stopped in a clearing in the lush, verdant area. As the man scanned the area in search of the Stand user who had cut him, a young girl with a short brown bob and brown eyes rushed up to him, out of breath.

 _Huh, she kind of looks like me…_ Suki thought, _but, that is definitely not me._

"Oh, good! I finally found you!" The girl sighed, "'He's hurt!' I thought, so I went back to get a bandage. Just a second…" She opened her schoolbag and began to rifle through it, easily finding a small capsule with a red cross, "If you don't mind…here…use this!"

The female student held the bandage up to him with a genuine smile on her face.

The man seemed confused for a moment, looking between the capsule and the girl. Finally, he took the bandage from her hand and bent down to tend to his leg.

"Thanks."

Clearly not expecting this, the girl blushed.

"Oh, my!"

Suki sighed, a small smile turning up her lips.

 _Well, at least they aren't all bad._

Suddenly, the girl began to tremble and twitch, as she pulled out a mechanical pencil and lunged at Jotaro.

"I don't want to remember…"

It was faint, but Suki was able to hear a voice.

"Why can't you remember what you did?"

A distorted voice responded to the first voice with a question.

"It's not that I can't, it's that I don't want to."

 _They both sound like Kakyoin, so Nori must be talking with his shadow…_ Suki thought, _but, those voices…_

She looked around, as the other three men seemed to hear what she was hearing. The memory seemed to pause, freezing Jotaro and the girl in their tracks.

… _are coming from above…?_

The girl finally looked up, and her eyes widened.

Floating gently, high in the sky, was a magnificent serpent-like golden dragon.

"What…What the hell…?" Suki wondered. She shook her head and turned to Joseph, "Mr. Joestar, Jotaro didn't happen to mention seeing a dragon while he was fighting Kakyoin, did he?"

"When Jotaro brought Kakyoin back to the house, all he said was 'This guy's a Stand user. He attacked me.' Though, I'm pretty sure he would've mentioned a dragon if he had actually seen one," the old man responded with a shrug.

Squinting her eyes to focus in on the flying creature, Suki noticed that it had four arms along its body. One held a large birdcage. There appeared to be a person inside the birdcage; however, the dragon was too far away to tell who that person was.

"That dragon appears to be circling over some area overhead. I think it would be wise to investigate that area," Abdul suggested.

With that, the group walked further into the forest. Keeping track of the dragon's location in the sky, the four made their way to another clearing; however, this one was occupied by a single, rectangular hole in the ground. This hole was unmarked, save for one lone candle that sat unlit beside the hole.

 _A grave…_ Suki thought, wrapping her arms around herself.

Abdul's attention seemed to be fixated on the unlit candle, as a frown pulled down his lips.

"No one deserves excommunication like this…" He murmured.

With a snap of his fingers, a small ember appeared on the end of Abdul's index finger. He lowered his finger to the candle, lighting it. The fortune teller nodded in satisfaction as he rose to his feet.

Appearing to have finally taken notice of the group, the dragon began to descend down to the ground. Thinking he wanted to attack, the four rushed back and hid behind the trees surrounding the clearing. As the creature floated to a stop, hovering over the hole, the group was finally able to get a better look at him.

The dragon had no wings, and yet found himself perfectly capable of swimming through the sky. Atop his head sat two large, elegant antlers, and a set of long, flowing whiskers. His eyes sat closed, giving the semblance of being asleep. Inside of the cage, Suki could easily see a man with long red hair and a green school jacket sitting against the far side of the prison. Suki smiled upon seeing this man.

 _Found you, Nori._

The beast allowed his gaze to drift about for a moment more before taking off into the sky once again, putting the candle out as he departed.

"It appears no visitors wanted to stay," The shadow said.

"…I guess not," Kakyoin responded.

 _This is different from the past interactions between the shadow and his real self,_ Suki thought, _this one doesn't seem to be antagonistic towards Kakyoin…_

"It appears we will have to spring on him when he flies down to check the candle," Abdul mused.

"Okay, I think I've got an idea," Suki started, as she explained her plan to the group.

They all nodded as they set out to enact the scheme.

Abdul lit the wick of the candle once more, dashing over to a hiding spot amongst the trees. The dragon flew down once more, looking about his surroundings with closed eyes. As he did, Abdul, Joseph, and Suki leapt from their hiding spots, summoning each of their Stands in turn.

"Hermit Purple!"

"Knight of Cups!"

"Red Bind!"

Mr. Joestar bound the four arms of the dragon, a bit of a stretch given the creature's long body, as Abdul wrapped glowing fiery ropes around the beast's body, preventing him from flailing and wiggling about. Suki noticed the dragon turning to face his captors and opening his mouth, a strange glow emitting from his throat. The girl quickly formed a water whip in her hands and wrapped the rope around the creature's mouth, allowing it to function as a muzzle. As the three worked to keep the shadow tied down, Polnareff sprinted over to the cage and brought out Silver Chariot. The Stand brandished his rapier and shoved it into the lock on the cage, pulling back his weapon to break the mechanism. The silver-haired man reached out and laid a hand on Kakyoin, and the two disappeared instantly. The dragon cried out pathetically through his muzzle.

"How much longer should we hold him?!" Joseph asked.

"Until those two come back and are out of the cage!" Suki answered, hoping beyond hope that the two would return just as quickly as they had vanished.

* * *

"Everyone's…going to leave, aren't they?"

"Huh?" Polnareff asked, confused.

"You're not the first person I've told…I didn't have any friends, growing up. Now that I have these connections…I don't want to lose them. Even if no one dies to Dio, people grow apart. I have seen this happen to other people, so what's to stop it from happening to me?

"I'll be left alone again, and I can't do anything to stop it."

Polnareff sighed.

"Now's no time for quitter's talk, Kakyoin. Listen, I didn't grow up with too many people to depend on, either. My mom…She died when I was little, and my sister…you know what happened to her," The Frenchman explained, wincing. He shook his head, "But, I'm sure as hell not gonna lose any of you guys! We might go our separate ways after everything's said and done, but we aren't going to leave each other forever. I know everyone else feels the same. Jotaro, Mr. Joestar, Abdul, and Suki all care about each other, and they care about us, too. No one is going to abandon anyone."

Kakyoin slightly raised his head at this statement. Polnareff offered his hand to his friend.

"We're not going to abandon you."

...

Kakyoin took the outstretched hand and pulled himself to his feet.

"Thank you, Polnareff," The honor student spoke with a gentle smile.

"Wow, you're actually thanking me? Someone, get the camera!" Polnareff grinned impishly.

"What was all that talk about not losing anyone, then, if you're just going to be an asshole?" Kakyoin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Aw, come on, it was just a joke!"

"If it was supposed to be funny, I'm not laughing."

"No, but, you're smiling."

Kakyoin rolled his eyes.

"Fine. You got me."

"Really, though, I'm glad you're alright," Polnareff admitted, a sincere smile on his face.

Kakyoin's eyebrows rose, before he smiled back.

"Let's go back, then," He responded, holding out his open palms. Polnareff's eyes lit up.

Polnareff brought his hands down, low-fiving Kakyoin's outstretched hands, and the honor student reciprocated the gesture. The two then held left hands in a handshake as the bumped right forearms twice, pounded the sides of their fists, then ended their ritual by bringing their forearms together.

"Let's go back."

* * *

Kakyoin and Polnareff reappeared in the cage. At the exact same time, the dragon burst free of his restraints with ease, as though his strength had inexplicably increased tenfold. Abdul, Joseph, and Suki were all pushed back by their bindings snapping, as the creature launched at sound-breaking speed towards the sky.

"We're going to have to jump," Kakyoin explained, as Polnareff looked to him in alarm.

"Jump?! What the hell do you-?!"

"You trust me, right?" Kakyoin asked, making eye contact with Polnareff.

After a moment, the Frenchman swallowed and nodded.

"Hierophant Green!"

The Stand wrapped one tentacle around the silver-haired man's body, as another tentacle tied itself to the iron bar closest to the exit. Accompanied by a bit of difficulty, due to wind resistance shoving them against the floor of the cage, the honor student yanked himself and Polnareff out. The dragon opened his eyes and stared at the two falling men out of the corner of his vision. The creature then closed his eyes again and continued on his earlier flight path, as Kakyoin and Polnareff fell towards the clearing.

"You have a plan, right?!" Polnareff shouted.

"I wouldn't have jumped if I didn't!" Kakyoin responded, retracting Hierophant's tentacle.

The Stand then shot out further in front of the pair, stopping a few yards above the ground. The spirit then splayed his limbs and allowed its arms to split off into several tentacles. These tendrils reached up and wove into a complex grid above his head, forming a net. The two men impacted the net shortly thereafter, as the elastic of the safety device pulled down with their weight. As their momentum gradually slowed to a stop, Kakyoin called back Hierophant, allowing them to fall the now laughably short distance between themselves and the ground.

"Well, you got us back to the ground, so I really don't have room to complain," Polnareff started, looking up at his disheveled hair in irritation.

"You're right, you don't," Kakyoin remarked. The honor student was startled by a smaller body knocking the wind out of him, and a pair of arms wrapping around him. Looking down, he smiled at who he saw embracing him so tightly.

"Welcome back, Nori," Suki murmured against his chest.

Kakyoin returned the gesture warmly.

"It's good to be back, Suki."

 _Alright, now we only need to find Jotaro!_ Suki thought with a smile, _hang on for just a little bit longer…We'll be there soon!_

* * *

What struck Suki as soon as she woke up was that getting back to the entrance of Kakyoin's memory had been considerably easier than all of the others. They met no resistance on their way back, oddly enough. The second thing that struck her was the absence of a dream, a memory Michel wanted to show her. She had certainly found that to be odd. Thirdly, Suki woke up to a completely different sight in the town than she had seen previously. Different from any sight she had ever expected to see.

This third observation shook Suki to her core.

The town that had once been a warm welcome back from an excursion into a memory, turned into the setting for a haunted house, was completely gone. Not a trace of it remained. There was nothing in front of, behind, or surrounding the group, except for pure, blinding whiteness that hung over the girl and her sleeping comrades oppressively. Everything was white.

In darkness, one could perceive there to be life. One couldn't know, because one couldn't see. In this whiteness, the agonizing truth of nothingness was the only thing that _did_ exist.

Further ahead, in that forever-expanding nothingness, sat something. A hat that completely contrasted all of its surroundings, not just in color, but also in existing. The black headpiece carried a golden band, and two shining pins attached to the front, and it was torn at the back.

 _Jotaro's hat!_

As Suki looked at the hat, she saw small, indistinct particles coming off the article of clothing. She quickly approached the headpiece and saw that it was slowly but surely fading away as well. Her eyes widened, as she snatched it up off the ground and dashed back to her group.

Her sleeping comrades were gone.

"Oh, come _on_!" She yelled, just as an eerie light surrounded her and carried her to the next memory.

Suki opened her eyes to a jarring amalgam of buildings and small areas. The ambience of the memory did not line up between one place and the next, as reality seemed to swim and waver before her very eyes. Thankfully, some landmarks did stick out to the girl: a school building, a quiet pathway, a café, an expensive-looking Japanese estate, and the ocean stretching out for miles further down the street. Her head felt like it was spinning from the lack of stability the world had.

 _Okay, calm down,_ Suki shook her head and tried to clear her mind, _I'm in Jotaro's memory right now. Hopefully, everyone just got transported here, and I can find them here._

The girl took a deep breath and began to move. She decided to start with the school building. Walking down the path leading to the small building, she noticed a small boy carrying a pack on his back, wearing an adorable yellow school hat and a bright blue smock. As he moved towards his destination, a pair of children also wearing bright yellow hats and blue smocks poked their heads out from behind a tree further away.

"Hāfu!" The boy stopped at hearing these calls, before continuing his stride, his shoulders trembling lightly, "Hāfu! Gaijin!"

 _This must be an early memory of his, back in Japan…at least, I feel like this is Jotaro?_ Suki thought, _let's see, "hāfu" means "biracial," and "gaijin" means "foreigner"…_ The girl shook her head, _that's a stupid way to make fun of someone._

The child walked into the school building, with Suki following close behind. As she entered, she scanned the room, her eyes falling on the small boy, seeing he had cold blue eyes. He stood quietly at the front of the class, staring down at his feet. Her eyes drifted to the chalkboard behind the child, and one name was written there in hiragana characters, "Kujo Jotaro."

"Now, class," The teacher started, walking up next to the child, gesturing to him, "This is Jotaro Kujo. He will be a member of our class starting today."

The advisor grinned, as he roughly patted the boy on the head. The young Jotaro winced, as he looked up at the teacher from under his hat.

"But, wow, I wasn't expecting you to be so small!"

The class laughed, as the boy seemed slightly hurt by the teacher's comment.

 _I can get kids making fun of someone for stupid reasons, but, a teacher?_ Suki thought inwardly angrily, as she looked out at the rest of the class, _come on, the other students aren't even that much taller than-!_

The girl's eyes widened as she stared at another child in the room. He didn't wear the yellow hat from before, and he seemed to be slightly older; however, this child had the same blue eyes the boy she had been following did.

 _Another Jotaro…?!_ Suki shook her head, _how am I supposed to find where the real Jotaro is, if there's more than one shadow?_

The boy she had been staring at gazed sadly at a sheet of paper that lay flat on his desk. Suki couldn't see what was written on it from where she was situated, but, judging by the tears welling up in the child's eyes, she could tell it was nothing good. The boy buried his face in his arms on the desk, as the students heckled him, with name-calling like, "Stupid!" "Idiot!" and "Dumb!"

Suki exited the building as quickly as her feet allowed her.

 _There are other places to check. I can't get bogged down here._

The next-closest place was the large estate. She maneuvered covertly around the collection of small rooms connected by wooden panel bridges, carefully sliding each the doors of each room open and checking inside. Finally, she came to one room with a desk, a futon, and a dresser. At the desk sat the same small boy she had seen crying at the school building. The small Jotaro looked to be staring down the words in a textbook he had open on the surface, a pencil in his hand as he scratched his head, likely trying to commit something to memory. The boy soon drifted off to sleep. A few seconds later, he awoke, but a blanket had appeared around his shoulders. As he stared confusedly at the plush cloth, he seemed to realize something before he turned his eyes back to the books. Wrapping the blanket tighter around himself, he scooted his chair forward more and set back to work.

 _It doesn't look like much is happening here right now…_

Suki moved on to the next set of doors, which held an empty room; however, the next room seemed to hold a dining room of sorts. A slightly older Jotaro and a blond, older woman with shoulder-length hair in a chignon sat across from each other at the table. They appeared to have just finished lunch, as the woman stood, taking the dishes into the kitchen.

"I'm so proud of you for doing well on the last test, sweetie!" The woman patted the boy on the shoulder after she came out of the kitchen, "When we go shopping later, you can pick out whatever you want, my treat!"

"R-Really?" The boy asked.

The woman smiled and nodded.

"Of course, Jotaro! Anything for my little boy!"

Suki smiled softly.

 _At least he's got his mom…_

Suki happened to glance back down the path she had already traversed, and saw the boy walk in to the room he had previously been studying in. Quickly retracing her steps, the girl peeked into the room, seeing young Jotaro lying on the floor of his room, next to his futon, reading a manga, by the looks of it.

"I took the demon's body," The boy read aloud, his excitement clearly growing, "I took the demon's superpowers…all for the sake of destroying the likes of you!" He grinned the biggest smile Suki had ever seen on his face.

 _Oh my god, he's so fucking cute,_ Suki thought, her lips turning up involuntarily.

"I wanna have powers and fight demons just like Devilman!"

Little Jotaro appeared to calm down for a moment, as he read the next few pages in silence. Suddenly, he came to a page that forced him to look closer. The boy then looked around the room, his eyes landing on his pillow. He pulled it out and threw a punch into it. As Suki tilted her head in confusion, the child pursed his lips and looked around the room, getting up from his spot on the floor and walking over to one of the paper screen doors. Reeling his arm back, he threw another punch, puncturing a hole in the thin paper. He pulled his arm back with a hesitant expression, likely contemplating the punishment he would get for punching a hole in the door. An idea seemed to dawn on the child, as he rushed out to the garden. Suki's eyes followed after him curiously, as he rushed up to a mighty arbor and threw a third punch, hitting the tree hard. Jotaro slowly and shakily pulled his arm back, startled at seeing his knuckles were now bloody. Surprising the girl observing, he held his clenched fist in one hand and took a deep breath, looking back to the tree once again, before beginning a rhythm of throwing his fists into the unforgiving wood, clearly not minding the harm he was causing to his hands. Suki looked on concernedly, as she stepped tepidly into his room, stealing a glance at just what made the boy rush off and start punching things.

The page the boy had left off on led up to a large panel at the bottom, where the main character, presumably, threw a punch into a wall, easily smashing it.

 _He…wants to be strong enough to break walls?_ Suki shook her head, _no, no, I think…this has to do with the bullying from before. Is this his way of coping with it?_

Jotaro's mother rushed over as she spotted her son throwing punch after punch into the tree. The boy winced as she took his hands gently and looked at his bloody knuckles concernedly. Looking from the tree to his hands, the woman's eyes lit up with realization, as she carefully led the boy inside.

"You don't have to do that, Jotaro. I'll see if I can't get you a sandbag, if you want to punch something."

...

"...Okay, Mama."

After scoping the rest of the estate from top to bottom, as best as she could amidst the swimming reality, Suki walked along to the café across what looked like a street. Up ahead, she saw Jotaro standing in front of a pair of kids. The children smirked at the boy.

"Look at the foreigner, walking around like he owns the place!""Go back to wherever you came from, you dumb foreigner!"

The little boy took a deep breath.

"If you guys keep talking like that, I'm gonna think you're demons," He responded quietly.

"What? Demons?"

"He's just a filthy foreigner, what does he know?"Little Jotaro lunged forward and hurled his fist straight into the face of one of the kids, most likely breaking his nose. As the first kid fell back, Jotaro turned and punched the other boy in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. The second child fell to his knees.

"Next time you want to pick on someone, just remember what happened when you messed with Jotaro Kujo."

With that, he walked past the pair, as they continued to clutch at their injured areas.

Walking further down the street, along the sidewalk in front of the café, Suki saw young Jotaro walking along, right beside his mother, as they passed a pair of older women. The women stared at Jotaro for a moment, before turning back to each other and resuming conversation.

"Hey, isn't that the kid who was called home from school the other day?"

"Quiet down, they'll hear you! But, yes, that's the boy. I heard he broke two students' jaws, and one older student's kneecaps!"

"Oh, my, I didn't think it was quite that bad…What kind of mother raises her child to think that that kind of thing is okay?"

Jotaro and his mother stopped, waiting for a light to turn red so they could cross the street. Mrs. Kujo looked up at the sky, as her son looked at his open hand in front of his chest, clenching it tightly into a fist.

"It's okay, Jotaro."

The boy looked up at his mother.

"I know you want to do good. I know you have a good heart."

She turned and smiled down at him.

"Even if the world turns against us, no matter what anyone says, I'll always believe that you're my sweet little boy."

Young Jotaro looked up at his mom in surprise, before casting his eyes away, as she patted his head.

Suki entered the café hesitantly, spotting a much older Jotaro at two different tables. With a sigh, she decided to check the more populated table first.

At this table, Jotaro looked to be a teenager, now wearing the outfit she saw him wear every day. He leaned back in his chair, his arms folded and head bowed, as a short, long-haired girl in a school uniform sat across from him, her hands clasped on the table.

"Thanks for agreeing to spend time with me."

Jotaro shrugged.

"What did you want?" He asked brusquely.

"Well, uhm, you see…" The girl darted her eyes around the room, "I wanted to get to know you better. What you like, what you don't like…Stuff like that!"

"It's not urgent?" The man asked with a quirked eyebrow, as though he had been tricked.

"No, not at all! I just wanted to chat, is all."

"Why not at school?"

"I just…like it here, is all."

"Hm."

...

"So…do you like jazz?"

"I guess."

...

"Do you watch any movies?"

"Sometimes."

...

"I like _Never Cry Wolf_."

"Oh, yeah, _that_ movie! With, uhm, that guy, and…er…the wolves…?"

"…Yeah."

...

Bickering voices entering the café from the entrance drew Suki away from the lack of conversation, as the same girl with long hair walked in alongside two other girls.

"I don't believe you," One of the other girls said.

"But, it's true! I really did go on a date with Jotaro!" The girl with long hair defended.

"Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that," the other girl shot back.

"I have eye-witness testimony, people _did_ see us here together! _And_ he even told me what he likes!"

"But, he doesn't talk to anybody about stuff like that…" The first girl chattered, "…What did he say?"

"He like jazz, and the movie, 'CryWolf'" The long-haired girl smirked, "See, now you guys _have_ to leave him alone, because I know way more about him than you do!"

… _He told me he had never been asked what he liked before…_ Suki thought, _he clearly has, but they clearly didn't ask because they genuinely wanted to know._

"I don't think that's how that works," The first girl mumbled.

"Yeah, and besides," The second girl started, "We don't even know if what you're telling us is true! You could just be making it up."

"Fine, then let's go ask him, then!" The long-haired girl suggested.

"Ask me about _what_?"

The girls jolted and spun to see the person in question standing behind them.

"Ah, uh, JoJo…"

"W-We were just…"

"Y-You didn't hear all of that…did you?"

The delinquent was silent for a spell, his eyes cast in shadow by his cap. Finally, he spoke.

"It's _Never Cry Wolf_. Not 'Cry Wolf.' Stupid bitch."

"A-Ah…right…" The long-haired girl responded.

"Tch. Good grief."

Jotaro walked out of café without looking back. Suki followed, the gloom of her comrade's past self rubbing off on her.

 _Okay, no getting bogged down,_ Suki thought, smacking her cheeks to keep her thoughts in line, _maybe I'm just looking at this the wrong way…_

As she stared out at the harbor, consisting of just a few docks leading out into the ocean.

 _Maybe if I think…_

On the middle dock stood the Jotaro she had grown to know, staring out at the warped ocean.

… _of something that would be_ out-of-character _for him to do…something that I could never imagine him doing…_

The delinquent on the dock seemed to take a deep breath, seeming to savor it as he stepped forward.

… _I'll find him_ that _way._

Jotaro stepped off the dock.

The dark, tempestuous waters swallowed him whole.

" _Jotaro!_ "

All of the air in Suki's lungs seemed to be vacuumed out by this single scream. Her feet moved without her consent, carrying her to the dock as fast as she could manage on her tired legs. She leapt off the wooden platform into the threatening sea, her eyes closing on instinct as she hit the water.

 _Given what I've seen…_ Would _he do this? Would he try?_

Suki shot her eyes open, unminding of the sting of the salt as she frantically scanned her surroundings.

 _The Jotaro I know…He wouldn't just…He wouldn't just jump…! But, then again, what do I know? I didn't even know my own mother was okay with dying like that…_

Her eyes landed on a dark figure, slowly descending towards the sea's bottom. She pushed herself through the water toward the sinking man.

 _All I know…All I know…_

Suki reached out as far as she could to Jotaro.

… _is that, no matter what he is to me, an ally, a friend, a confidant, or something more…_

Suki's hand drifted an inch from Jotaro's body, as she called out to him, even in the depths of the water.

… _no matter what the future holds, I'm going to fight by his side, until the bitter end!_

Suki's hand landed on Jotaro's shoulder.

The body she had been chasing dissipated into nothing.

 _Shit!_

Suki felt something slither through the water behind her. As she turned to look at whatever was causing the movement, her eyes fell upon nothing. Motion in the water where she was just looking rippled over to her. Nothing was there when she turned back.

 _Where is…?!_

A thin black tendril wrapped itself around her body. Before she could turn and observe the source of the attack, she was raised out of the water at blinding speeds. Suki coughed as she resurfaced, desperate to get air back in her lungs as she gasped, her chest burning. The tentacle reeled back and threw her back onto land before she could recover fully. Suki pulled as much water as she could from the ocean underneath her into a long water whip. Passing the streetlight she had seen before, she threw her whip out at it. The light bent under weight as she pulled in the opposite direction, but it gave her just enough stability to land her feet on the ground. She pulled the whip back and formed two watery swords.

 _Okay, now where are you…?_ Suki thought, scanning her surroundings, _still in the water? Or maybe…_

Before she could finish that thought, she felt something like a leg sweep her feet out from under her. She caught herself on her knees, turning and slashing at the enemy that had knocked her off-balance. Nothing was there. As she stood, trying to regain her bearings, a black tentacle wrapped itself around her neck, yanking her to the ground and pulling her backwards. Suki buried one of her swords in the ground, her throat screaming in protest as she played tug-of-war with this other-worldly force. She quickly brandished the other weapon and slashed at the force behind her, snapping the tendril in two. As she felt the tentacle retract, Suki rolled over and pushed herself to her feet, ignoring her own coughs as she rushed after the retreating black appendage.

As she rounded the corner, a heavy fist met her stomach with surprising speed. The girl was flung back into the wall of the café, crashing through one of the windows. She tumbled backwards through the room until her back hit the wall. Suki struggled to open her eyes, as she felt splinters and shards of glass bite into her body. As her vision adjusted to the café interior, she finally saw the creature that had been attacking her in full view.

The shadow looked to be just that: a shadow. A completely dark, humanoid figure loomed over the girl, the only semblance of facial features on his face being two circular holes and a sideways gash, appearing as a set of eyes and a mouth. The body of the shadow was completely black, save for a pinprick of a glimmer of light in his chest, almost completely cloaked by the darkness.

 _That's…gotta be…!_

Suki brought her arms in and shoved her swords forward. The shadow's body contorted, stretching the chest away from the points of the weapons. The creature took Suki's wrists and flung them back into the wall behind her, forcing her to drop her weapons. The swords dispelled completely into vapor. The girl tried to pull her legs in and kick the shadow, but, before she could retaliate, he pulled his chest back in and morphed his legs into tendrils once more, wrapping them around her legs, pinning them to the ground.

 _What the hell even is this thing?!_

Suki looked around for any opening she could, any moment where she could summon another weapon to attack the creature in front of her.

She could find nothing.

 _No…No! I can't give up! Not now!_

As this thought burst through her mind, she heard a battle cry she knew all too well.

"Emerald Splash!"

The shadow ducked slightly at this call, but miscalculated the trajectory of the attack, as a few stray stones made contact with the back of his head, his grip on Suki's limbs loosening as a result. Before the creature was even given time to turn and react, several green tendrils wrapped around every portion of his body and ripped him off of the girl. The amorphous shadow appeared to struggle under these binds. He appeared to reach for the tentacle wrapped around his neck, but more tendrils shot out soon after to prevent even that much. As Suki stood up slowly, she locked eyes with the slightly injured man who had saved her, smiling.

"Nori…Thank you!"

"I'm just glad you're alright," Kakyoin replied, smiling gently in response, before turning a set of unforgiving eyes onto the shadow, "This bastard kept giving me trouble, before it set its sights on you. I restrained it as best as I could earlier, but, when I made contact with its body, a hole opened in its chest. It was like a portal to another world, but…" He locked eyes with the girl, "I saw Jotaro in there."

Suki's eyes widened.

"I tried to go in after him, because he seemed to be experiencing difficulties himself, but, I was blown back when I touched it…"

"Let me try it."

Kakyoin's eyebrows raised.

"Are…you sure?"

Suki nodded firmly. It was clear that there would be no budging for her on this issue. With a small chuckle, the honor student turned back to the shadow and tightened the restraints. Suki walked toward the struggling creature, stumbling slightly. Without turning back, she addressed her ally.

"I don't know what's going to happen to me, but I _have_ to help Jotaro, no matter what. Could you look for the others? I'm sure they're in this area with us, we just haven't found them."

"Of course, Suki," Kakyoin agreed with a nod.

The girl smiled.

"I'll see you soon, Nori."

With that, she laid a hand on the shadow's chest, concentrating completely on the glimmer of light in his body. Sure enough, what looked like a portal opened in his body. A rush of wind threatened to push Suki back, but she forced herself forward, moving her body bit by bit through the passage, until nothing of her remained in the café.

After a moment, the portal closed, as the shadow faded from view in a dark mist. Kakyoin paused for a moment, before taking a deep breath and turning, walking out of the broken-down café.

"I'll just leave you to him," He spoke quietly, a small smile playing on his lips.

* * *

Suki opened her eyes to an empty arena. The stands were completely empty, save for a small collection of people in the front row. The only lights that were turned on were those hanging over a shoddy-looking caged ring. In the middle of this ring stood Jotaro and…Dio. The figure of Dio was the same as Suki had seen in her memory, except that this Dio's face was completely shrouded in darkness, with two intimidating orange eyes peeking out of it. Not to mention he had Jotaro's height beaten by about a foot more. The girl moved her punctured body as fast as she could to the cage.

"Jotaro!" She called. Her ally didn't even seem to hear her, as his gaze was locked on the monster in front of him. No matter how many times she called his name thereafter, he did not respond.

As she looked closer at the two combatants, she saw Dio looked completely unharmed, a menacing, toothy smirk appearing on his face, shining through the darkness. On the other hand, Jotaro looked battered and bruised beyond belief. His breathing was labored, and, without his hat, it was easy to see just how much strain he was currently under. A purple formless mist seemed to hang behind Jotaro.

"How much longer until you cave in, Jotaro?" Dio drawled, sauntering over to the teenager.

"As long as it takes," He responded, turning his head and spitting out a glob of blood.

Dio put his hands on his hips and leaned forward, standing well over Jotaro's height.

"Aren't you _scared_ of me?"

Jotaro refused to break eye contact as he responded.

"Tch. Hell no."

"Well, isn't that _cute_!" Dio snapped, reeling his right arm back and delivered a brutal punch to the delinquent's cheek, throwing him on the floor onto his hands and knees.

 _Why isn't he summoning Star Platinum? Unless,_ Suki thought, her eyes drifting back to the light haze at Jotaro's back, that _is Star?!_

The girl shook her head. Despite the angry yells her skin delivered to her, she grasped the interwoven iron links of the cage and began to pull herself up the wall.

"Hmm…maybe you need to be taught by _example…_ " Dio mused, as he snapped his fingers. The lights came on over the solitary group of audience members in the arena. As Suki's eyes were involuntarily drawn to the sight, she felt her heart rise up and begin to constrict her throat. She couldn't breathe, after bearing witness to the horrors of the "audience" Dio had set up.

* * *

 **WARNING: HORROR AHEAD. Skip to the next line, if you are not comfortable with that.**

* * *

Sitting in the front row, closest to the cage, were the very same people she had been working to save this entire time she had been traversing through the memories; however, "saved" was the last word she would use to describe these people. Five figures sat there, their clothes stained and hair matted by blood, and their body structures mangled far beyond the horizon of "necessary torture for information." The most horrific thing was each person had ultimately died by a different means. Mr. Joestar sat wide-eyed, a slit cut in his throat with his tongue yanked halfway through. Abdul's eyes were shut, but his mouth hung wide open in a silent scream, as every portion of his body was burnt completely black. Every centimeter of Polnareff's skin was peppered with small holes that still leaked blood. Kakyoin's skin was blue from his toes to his fingers, as though blood flow had slowly been stemmed bit by bit from his smallest appendages to his core organs.

Dio walked over to Jotaro and yanked his head up by the hair. The delinquent's eyes widened at what he saw.

"You wouldn't believe how much work I had to do. They had just as much opportunity as you do to submit, and yet they _just_ wouldn't _budge_ ," The monster commented, leaning down and murmuring into his captive's ear, "I had to _experiment_. I had to get _inventive_. Especially with _her_."

Dio pointed at one person at the end of the row. Suki noticed her own body sat among the lineup, and she then knew for sure that what she was staring at wasn't real; however, this still did not detract from the disgust and fright from seeing her own body with her back slit open and ribs hacked away from her spine to look like demented bird wings. The distinct feeling of bile rising in her throat threatened to keep her from her goal; however, Suki swallowed, wincing at the bitter taste, and continued to climb.

* * *

Dio let Jotaro's head drop to the mat, as he stood back up.

"Imagine my surprise when the girl I thought was so close to me ended up betraying me for a ragtag group of nobodies. Granted, it wasn't a tragedy, but, I couldn't help feeling just the slightest bit offended. So, I thought it would be appropriate to give… _proper_ punishment to a little traitor like her," The monster shook his head, "She just wouldn't stop calling your name, no matter what happened, so I told _her_ that for every time she called out to you, I would rip off one of her fingers with a pair of pliers. I must say, she's a quick learner. It only took two mistakes for her to finally learn to shut that little mouth of hers."

"She wouldn't…She wouldn't call for me like that…" Jotaro growled, clenching his hands into fists, digging his fingernails into his palms so hard that he drew blood.

Dio shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. She's your girlfriend, not mine," He grinned maliciously, "Or, I guess you could say, she _was_."

Dio walked back over and kicked Jotaro's side.

"Come on, get up. Face your fate like a man. For the love of me, you're a _Joestar_."

...

Jotaro slowly pushed himself to his knees, then to his feet. He swayed slightly from fatigue, as he kept an icy glare trained on Dio.

"Good, good, now you can join your other friends in their useless afterlives!" Dio shouted, aiming one more punch to Jotaro's stomach. With such force and speed behind such an attack, he was likely intending to punch right through his flesh.

However, Suki refused to let such an event occur.

Finally reaching the top of the cage, she leapt into the ring, landing directly in front of Jotaro just as Dio wound up his punch. Using her canteen, she easily created a water shield in front of her abdomen; however, the attack was still so strong that she and Jotaro were still shoved back by the force into the wall of the cage. Chancing a glance behind her, Suki was relieved to see he was still okay, if only instantaneously rattled by her sudden appearance. She gazed into his eyes, one phrase on her mind.

 _I'll help you finish this fight._

Suki could only hope the message reached him, as Dio rushed forward and delivered a punch to the back of her head, sending her tumbling forward. Surprising her, she phased right through the iron links of the cage as she hit the ground outside the ring. Leaping to her feet, she jumped up onto a row of the audience that was the most lit.

"Well, that was surprising," Dio remarked distantly. He observed Jotaro out of the corner of his eye, as the delinquent began to shimmy along the side of the cage. The monster chuckled, "Where do you think _you're_ going? There's no way to escape from this cage unless _I_ will it!"

Jotaro stopped, his breathing seeming to finally calm down, as he smirked at Dio.

"I'm not trying to run."

Unbeknownst to Dio, Suki had begun tapping her foot, bringing her arms up, maneuvering them in complex patterns about her body, as she took care to stay on the lit bleacher. She spun and took small leaps, dancing to a bombastic orchestra's symphony that only she and Jotaro were privy to.

From this angle, Jotaro had a perfect line of sight of the dancing girl, as he took a deep breath, feeling his strength return to him with each pump of adrenaline.

The delinquent sprinted forward, throwing his fist towards Dio's left cheek. The monster smirked and ducked, easily dodging the attack; however, he was caught completely off guard by the purple arm the delivered an uppercut to the vampire's chin with a mighty battle cry.

"Ora!"

"What?!"

As Dio hit the wall of the cage, he looked up to see Jotaro advancing forward with a look that could kill. By his side, the once-wispy purple mist had materialized into the figure of Star Platinum, who looked just as angry.

"You asked before if I was scared. I might be. Even if I am, though…"

Jotaro stopped in front of the monster, raising a hand and pointing at him.

"…I have more important things to do than be scared."

With that, Star Platinum lunged forward and began to lay punch after punch into Dio's body. After what felt like enough time given to break every bone in his body and rupture every organ, the Stand finally finished with a vicious punch to the monster's gut, sending him skyrocketing into the air.

The cage seemed to fade from view, as Suki finally stopped moving. She turned towards the ring with renewed conviction, her previous injuries meaning nothing to her as she rushed to the center. Even after regaining his energy, the last attack appeared to have taken a lot out of Jotaro, or he might have merely been hiding how truly fatigued he was, even with the power boost. He found himself staring after the vampire he had launched as he caught his breath, ensuring that what had happened was really over.

"Jotaro!"

He looked over as Suki clambered into the ring. All he could manage in that moment was turning towards her as she couldn't help running straight into him. He stumbled back a bit, but quickly regained his footing.

"Thank God…" Suki cried, burying her face in his chest, "Thank God you're okay…!"

Jotaro knew, in that moment, that he was dearer to her than he had initially thought. Not because she cried, but because of the way she held him. Holding him as if he would slip away like sand in her palm, or a star streaking across the sky.

"Sorry, I'm being such a baby…" Suki laughed quietly, looking up at Jotaro.

The man locked eyes with her for a moment, before slowly bringing a hand up to her face, dragging his thumb along her cheekbone, catching a stray tear. The girl seemed startled at first, before her cheeks reddened and she smiled. For the first time, she noticed just how scruffy his hair was under his hat. His blue eyes seemed to shine just as bright without the darkness shrouding them constantly. Then she realized why this was the first time she had noticed how he looked without the hat.

"That's right! I have something for you," She said, moving away briefly to reach into her satchel. Careful not to be too rough with it, she held the hat out to her companion, "here, Merry Christmas."

She spoke sarcastically with an impish grin, but the statement caused Jotaro to realize something pushed into the back of his mind. He recalled a distinct memory, from when they had been deciding upon the route to Egypt from Singapore.

* * *

"What? We're gonna miss Christmas, then?"

"That's a letdown," Joseph sulked a bit at the revelation, "But, this _is_ the best route we've got, if we want to be efficient and cautious."

"Why are you so upset, Suki? We don't typically celebrate that holiday in Egypt, I didn't think you would even know about it," Abdul said.

Suki scratched her cheek, somewhat embarrassed to speak.

"Well, it's something…my dad introduced us to. He would always get so excited talking about it. Even when it wasn't December, sometimes he randomly said, 'eighty-seven more days until then.' That enthusiasm really rubbed off on us, I think. I know people who have different religious values celebrate different holidays, but…"

Suki clenched her fists in front of her.

"There's just a certain happiness that I can't really find anywhere else except when I'm celebrating that holiday. Just being together with family and friends and embracing the spirit of giving…it puts a really warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest."

As she looked at the people she was telling this, her cheeks flushed red as she twiddled her fingers.

"Sorry, I know we're on an important mission and that was really corny and stupid and we don't have to celebrate it, we're busy but I just-"

"It's alright, Suki, please calm down," Kakyoin coaxed.

"S-Sorry…"

"It _was_ corny," Jotaro started, having kept silent this whole time. Suki was annoyed by his glib response, but then he continued, "We can just tell each other 'Merry Christmas' when that day comes."

Suki honestly couldn't tell if he was being serious or joking from there. She simply apologized once more from the disruption and returned to discussing the plans with the group.

* * *

"Merry Christmas."

The words were out of his mouth before he could think them through.

Suki looked up, a startled expression painting her features, before a smile crossed her lips and tears began to well up in her eyes again.

"Look, I-"

"I'm not sad, it's just…been a long day," Suki huffed a small laugh through her smile.

The girl reached up, as though to put the hat back on Jotaro, as the man reached up to take the hat from her hands. Suki pulled back slightly, letting the headpiece drop closer to his reaching hands. Jotaro locked eyes with her, before slowly letting his hands fall to his sides. He looked at Suki as she stared at him, an eyebrow quirked, asking if she was going to get on with it or not. The girl no longer hesitated, as she stood on her tiptoes and reached up the rest of the way and placed Jotaro's hat back on his head. Her hands were gentle and warm, as they moved minutely to replace the article of clothing just right. Finally, she pulled her hands back and clasped them behind her back, as she grinned.

"There."

A few moments passed between the two, as they just stared into each other's eyes. Jotaro moved first, as he wrapped an arm around Suki's back, tilting her head up with the other hand and pressing his lips to hers. The girl was startled by the sudden action, but quickly relaxed and reciprocated, placing her hands on his chest.

"Oh my God!"

The two pulled away from each other quickly at the startling proximity of the shout. Of course, they first noticed Joseph, who looked at them disapprovingly, but nowhere near as angered as Abdul, or as shocked as Polnareff. Meanwhile, Kakyoin only seemed slightly embarrassed that he had caught them in the middle of a display of intimacy.

"This seems familiar," Jotaro mused, "Goddammit, old man."

"Where is your fidelity, Suki? You're one of the last people I would expect this kind of behavior from!" Abdul scolded as the group made their way over to the pair. He turned to Joseph as he continued, "Don't you think, Mr. Joestar?"

"Yeah, terrible," The old man agreed, though some tone of his voice sounded unconvinced.

"W-We can explain," Kakyoin started.

"Wait, _you_ can explain _that_?!" Polnareff asked, gesturing between the honor student and the pair they had just joined.

 _Well, I'm at least glad everyone's alright…_ Suki thought as she scanned the group.

Suddenly, the eerie light from before shined bright once more, allowing the six out of the memory.

* * *

"Are you prepared?"

Michel gave a firm nod.

"Let us depart, then," Whit said, as he led the way to the vehicle.

The day to test the group that was going to defeat Dio had finally come. Between small visits from Whit to check on her and just going out and seeing the sights in Aswan, the time waiting for the day of reckoning had flown by for Michel, as she stared calmly out the window of the vehicle, watching the evening sky drift past.

"You have the semblance of being in higher spirits than you were when I last saw you. Did something in your daily schedule shift?" The man asked.

The woman huffed a small laugh.

"You could say that. I've definitely been able to sleep better, without expectations riding on my shoulders constantly."

"Does my favor not qualify as an 'expectation'?"

"Favors are different from expectations. There's a big difference between asking someone to perform one task for you, and requiring that someone act a certain way all the time. That's the worst."

"'Requiring that someone act a certain way all the time'…" Whit contemplated, "Is that much like functioning as a slave for another person?"

"Kind of…? It's…complicated," Michel said.

The blond man turned his attention back to the road.

"You are certainly more willing to chat than you were on the night I whisked you away."

"I don't like talking to most people."

"I see."

A few minutes of silence passed.

"Can I…tell you something?"

"I do not believe I am muzzling you in any sort of fashion, so you may do as you please."

Michel smirked, before running a hand through her ringlets.

"Well, back where I lived…Everyone had this idea that _I_ was going to be the one to take over 'In the Closet.' And I mean, _everyone_. But, people like Kyuu didn't have that expectation of me. I don't think I know everything there is to know about him, but I still can't imagine why he would think…"

Whit shook his head.

"Dwelling upon ideas of self-loathing is inefficient, if one wishes to be productive. I would advise you to halt such a train of thought."

Michel seemed somewhat startled, before she turned back in her seat.

"You're right."

Before long, the coast of Egypt came into view, with the Red Sea in full view. Whit stopped the car and began to conceal it from view.

"You shall be fine here, yes?"

"I've still got that gun you gave me, and I know how to use it, thanks to those lessons of yours."

"And you recall for whom you are searching?"

"Gaudy-looking lady in a blue dress, right?"

"That is the one. Do you have any pressing questions before I leave?"

Michel appeared to think for a moment, before shaking her head.

"Not that I can think of."

Whit appeared to genuinely smile, as he turned from Michel and waved.

"I shall see you shortly."

With that, he dove into the sea, teleporting along while swimming like an Olympic athlete.

"Show-off," Michel chuckled, before setting off to search for the one called "Midler."

* * *

Michel stood over the six unconscious bodies quietly, as she maintained concentration over her Stand's powers. The quiet light of dawn shined down on her, glistening in her dark hair as she spoke quietly.

"This is…a lot of memories to go through…A lot of thoughts…" She shook her head, "Whit said he would be back soon…What task is he working on completing, I wonder…?"

The woman suddenly heard a set of footsteps approach her from behind.

"I could turn around and shoot you right now. You know that, right?"

The footsteps stopped. A sigh was heard, a female voice.

"Calm down. I was only ordered to show you something. That's it."

"Then, come around where I can see you."

A woman with messy blond hair and green eyes came around to Michel's front. As soon as she stopped in front of Michel, she clapped her hands together and brought them apart.

"Silver Springs."

A waterfall formed between the woman's two outstretched hands, as an image suddenly appeared before Michel.

"That's where you live. Rather, where you _did_ live," The blond woman explained, her eyes sad.

"N-No…That…can't be…!"

Suddenly, a gunshot rang in Michel's ears. Before she could even look towards the source of the sound, her vision went dark.

* * *

Suki opened her eyes to the sky of an Egyptian dawn. She scrambled to her feet, looking around at her allies, as they all slowly sat up, as if they had just woken up from a long sleep. Suki sighed in relief for their safety, with the distinct feeling that they were back in the real world.

 _But, that memory…!_

Looking back and forth frantically, her movement stopped as she looked behind her.

There, on the ground, lay Michel Jackson, her eyes shut.

 _N-No…_

The others looked over to the girl, before their gazes fell on the young woman who had attacked them. Suki carried herself over to Michel, afraid of embracing the truth. She slowly laid a hand on her pulse, frightened of facing the sad reality that…this woman…

This woman…

 _Michel is…_

A small, subtle pump of blood beat under Suki's fingers, as the girl's eyes widened.

 _She's alive…!_

"Someone…" Suki started, cradling Michel's body in her arms, "Someone call a _doctor_!"

As if responding to her call, Whit teleported in front of her. His face was twisted in anger, as he threw a man's dead body to the ground that he had carried with him. The man's face had been completely blown off, as if an explosion had occurred right in front of him. Upon hearing the gunshot in the memory, Suki had immediately assumed the culprit to be Hol Horse; however, the lack of blond hair and cowboy clothes expressed otherwise.

"Whit, you-!"

"No words. Just listen," Whit snapped, taking Michel out of Suki's hands. Turning to the rest of the group, he jerked his head towards the northeast, "Car's that way. Tight squeeze, but it will hold all of you."

As Whit turned and walked off, the other men exchanged confused glances, as Suki began to follow Whit, turning to the group with a worried look.

"The hospital is on the way to Aswan," Whit clarified.

That seemed to be enough to spur the men into following behind Whit, as he carried the woman who was barely hanging on to medical attention.

* * *

The thirty-minute wait for the doctor's diagnosis felt agonizingly slow, as the group of seven waited in the lobby of the hospital. Suki clasped her hands tightly in her lap, while Whit sat with his eyes closed and arms folded, directly between Suki and Kakyoin in the line they had involuntarily sat in.

"You guys…didn't have to stay here," Suki spoke meekly.

"This was the best course of action anyway," Mr. Joestar responded.

"Our options were either head to the nearest settlement on foot and wait for the Speedwagon Foundation to deliver a vehicle, however long that would take, or come here by car and spend thirty minutes waiting for a report on your friend's condition. I believe this is the more efficient alternative," Abdul explained.

"Besides, we didn't want you to have to worry about being left alone with _Monsieur Fuckwit_ over there," Polnareff added.

"You may not intend to insult by displaying blatant distrust; however, your intent to offend with a front that you do not know I am here, coupled with baseless name-calling, is quite childish," Whit replied with a raised finger, "Suki and I have been left alone together on multiple occasions, and not once have I considered taking measures characteristic of my original. Women are creatures deserving of respect and intellectual thought, and I would prefer you not act as though I am unintelligent enough to forget that, _Monsieur Pollution Sonore._

He leaned back in his chair, completely uncaring of the fuming Frenchman. Abdul hid a small smirk behind his hand as he snickered. Polnareff pouted at the fortune teller in response. Meanwhile, Whit continued to speak.

"With that reasoning, if the female in question was anywhere close to, what I believe you refer to as, a 'type' that I prefer, I do not believe we would be having this conversation."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kakyoin queried.

"The game of cat and mouse between two people desiring intimacy is not one I should be challenged in, if I choose to take interest, put simply."

"Game?" Jotaro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It is nothing you need to worry about, Mr. Kujo."

The delinquent sighed.

Just then, the doctor emerged from the hallway leading to the other rooms. He quickly walked over to the group of seven. He took a deep breath.

"She's stable; however, we… don't know when she'll wake up."

"Would it be possible to see her, at this time?" Whit asked, standing up.

The doctor nodded.

"I don't want to disturb the other patients, so I'll allow two people to come back with me."

Whit turned to Suki and nodded. He began to follow the doctor into the brightly lit hallway, as the girl turned to the group briefly.

"I won't be long."

Whit and the doctor were silent as the three walked down the hall leading to Michel's room. Finally, the physician turned and opened a door, leading into a room with a single bed pushed against the wall.

There, under the covers, slept Michel. She seemed healthy enough from anyone who only looked at her, but the dozens of medical devices hooked up to her body, working overtime just to keep her low-functioning body stable so she could conceivably move again, spoke otherwise. The beeps of the heart monitor and the sound of the breathing apparatus filtering the respiration of the patient were the only noises in the silent room.

"I'll give you some time," The doctor offered, quietly exiting and shutting the door behind him.

Suki slowly walked over to the bed, staring down at her friend. She felt like she had so much to say to her friend, but no idea how to say it. Even then, there was no way of knowing if she actually heard whatever she wanted to say.

The girl finally decided to gently embrace her friend's body as best as she could without disturbing the devices.

"I'm sorry…" She spoke softly, "I'm so sorry…"

She just held her, letting the sounds of the medical instruments dull as she focused solely on her friend's weakly-beating heart. After a few moments, she pulled back, looking to Whit at the door. His eerie grin still held, but Suki could see sadness resting in his heavy gaze.

"Do you want to say anything to her?" She asked, standing up straight.

Whit's eyebrows shot up before he cast his eyes away.

"I believe that, if there is anything _to_ say, it can wait until she is awake once more."

Suki's mouth fell slightly open, not expecting such an optimistic answer from the blond man. She then turned and smiled at her friend.

"Yeah. Until she's awake."

* * *

After taking the car off of Whit's hands ("I _insist,_ " he said), the group made their way to a hotel in the settlement on the way to Aswan. The car ride was oddly quiet. The group had experienced a tragedy, differing in size according to each member; however, the reality of death had set in once more, along with the ticking clock they had to continue to adhere to. What most affected everyone was the mental fatigue the morning had forced on them. No one had wanted to dwell on their past problems; and yet, there was someone who ended up forcing them to.

Night had just begun to fall as they reached the small town. Dinner was occupied by small conversation, as Joseph finally asked what was going on between the three youngest members of the group, to which Jotaro replied, "We're just messing around. It's no big deal." Kakyoin and Suki honestly couldn't come up with better, more efficient explanations, so they left it at that. As they got up to leave, a woman with brown hair tied back in a ponytail in a Speedwagon Foundation uniform approached the group.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Joestar!" She greeted.

"Ah, same to you," The old man responded, as he met her halfway. The two began to speak quietly.

"Aw, why did no one tell me we were gonna miss it?" Polnareff whined, voicing his dismay.

"We knew you would fuss if we brought it up," Abdul replied nonchalantly.

"Whatever," The Frenchman sighed.

As Abdul made his way up the stairs to his hotel room, Polnareff made way to follow suit, but quickly turned back to the group.

"Hey, Kakyoin," The redhead turned upon hearing his name, as the silver-haired man pointed at him, "Don't forget about the thing, got it?"

The honor student rolled his eyes.

"I won't."

Polnareff nodded and began his trek up the stairs. Suki, having heard the exchange, looked up at Kakyoin curiously.

"The _thing_?" She asked.

"Polnareff wanted to have a man-to-man discussion with me, hence why he was so adamant about sharing a room with me tonight. It probably has something to do with what happened this morning, if I had to guess," He explained with a sigh. He then smiled gently at the girl, "I'll see you in the morning, though, all right?"

The girl nodded.

"Oh, right, I nearly forgot," The honor student realized, as he began to rifle through his pockets. Finally, he seemed to find what he had been looking for, as he pulled out a small box with a bow tied around it. He then took Suki's hand and placed the box in her open palm, as he explained, "This is for you."

Suki was shocked, before she looked up at Kakyoin with a sincere smile.

"Thank you, Nori. You didn't have to get me anything."

"No, but I _wanted_ to," He said, as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. As he smoothed out her hair, he warned, "Now, don't open it until you get back to your room, okay?"

The girl nodded.

"I will. I'll make sure to get you something, too!""You're so sweet. You don't have to, but you can if you want to," The honor student expressed, before turning and waving, making his way up the stairs.

Out of the corner of her eye, Suki noticed Joseph and the woman from the Speedwagon Foundation looking over at her as they chatted, before turning their eyes back to each other. She was momentarily confused, but her attention was brought back as Jotaro approached her.

"Ready to go upstairs?"

The girl nodded. As the two walked over to the stairway, Mr. Joestar came up to them, putting a hand on Jotaro's shoulder.

"Jotaro, could I talk with you for a bit?"

Suki looked between the two men briefly, as she tried to gauge the weight of the issue. Jotaro turned to her and nodded, reassuring her that it would be okay to head upstairs. She nodded back and continued up the stairs.

The girl quietly closed the door to her room, her feet padding quietly across the carpeted floor as she made her way to the furthest bed. Sitting down, she held the box in her hand in her lap. She studied it for a moment, wondering what the honor student had acquired for her.

 _Part of me is hoping that it isn't jewelry,_ She thought, _I wouldn't dislike the gift, but I don't want him spending so much money on me._

With a shake of her head, she dispelled the thought and began to pull gently on the ribbon. As she opened the box, her attention was drawn by a note falling out. Catching the small slip of paper in her now free hand, she brought it back up and read it.

 _Made me think of you. -Noriaki_

Suki couldn't help blushing at the genuinely sweet gesture, as she finally looked in the box proper. Inside was a midnight blue ribbon patterned with numerous golden stars in various sizes. The girl's face brightened as she looked at the fabric.

 _This is perfect!_ She thought, smiling to herself.

Suki quickly stood up and made her way into the bathroom. Setting the box down on the counter, she set to work.

...

After a few minutes, she had the ribbon tied tightly around a ponytail that rested gently against the back of her neck. The girl turned her head from side to side, liking what she saw in the mirror, before walking back into the room and setting herself down on the bed.

… _I'm glad to know that this looks nice, but I think I should get ready for bed._

Suki stood back up and walked into the bathroom, quietly brushing her teeth, brushing her hair, and changing into her t-shirt and boxer shorts that she wore for bed. After she was done, she crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to her cheeks. After a moment, the girl felt herself crying. She wondered why, but couldn't come up with a single factor.

The girl didn't know how much time had passed before she heard the door unlock and open. Her spontaneous tears had long since dried. She felt the bed give under more weight. After a moment, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She smiled softly and placed her hand over Jotaro's.

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry."

The girl turned towards the man sitting beside her. Her face turned red as she voiced a request on her mind."Uhm, do you think…maybe we could sleep in the same bed?"

"I thought you said you were fine," He replied.

"I am," Suki explained, pouting a bit, "I would've asked for this either way."

The delinquent got up for a moment, putting his jacket in the closet and setting his hat on the night table, as Suki closed her eyes contentedly. He then pulled the covers up and slipped underneath, right in front of the girl.

"This what you wanted?"

Suki nodded with a smile.

A few moments passed, before Suki spoke up, opening her eyes.

"Aren't you gonna turn the lights off?"

"What, are you wanting to do weird things to me in the dark?"

"It's time for _bed,_ Jotaro," Suki said with an impish grin, "Besides, I think _you_ were the one coming on to _me_ the last time we were in bed in the dark."

Without a word, the man summoned his Stand to turn the only source of light, the lamp, off.

"Now I can't see you."

"You make that sound like it's a _problem_ , Jotaro."

...

"…I want to see you."

Suki huffed a small laugh.

"We need darkness to go to sleep," She said, as she moved closer to him, "But, even if you can't see me, you can hear me, and you can feel me. And I can do the same to you."

A few moments passed in the quiet darkness, as Suki rested her head on Jotaro's chest, wrapping her arms around him.

...

"I'm scared, too, y'know. Completely terrified. I don't want…I don't want anything bad to happen to you, or Nori, or Mr. Joestar, or Abdul, or Polnareff, or anybody we've met. I'm scared of what could happen to them."

...

"Weirdly, I'm happy that you're scared, too," She added.

Their eyes having adjusted to the darkness, Suki looked up at Jotaro with a smile on her face, as she continued.

"We can be scared together, and fight together."

...

The delinquent wrapped his arms around the girl, reciprocating her gesture.

"…Don't die, okay?"

"I won't. Same goes for you, got it?"

"I'm not dying. Not to Dio, not to anybody."

The girl smiled as she fell asleep all too easily in her partner's arms.

* * *

Suki awoke to the sound of thumping on the floor of the room. Slowly and methodically moving out of Jotaro's arms, she sat up and rubbed at her eyes, holding back a yawn. She scoured the darkness for anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly, her eyes widened.

Standing on the floor was a tiny, moving toy soldier.

 _An enemy Stand…!_

"Jotaro," She murmured, nudging his shoulder, "Jotaro, wake _up_."

"Mm, what?" He replied groggily.

"Look, over there!" She whispered, pointing at the small soldier.

As Jotaro sat up and watched the little wooden person move, it walked over to a small ornament that had fallen onto the floor from the table. Picking it up in both of its stubby hands, it began to walk back towards the entrance to the hotel room. A moment seemed to pass, as the door opened for the soldier, closing behind it. Suki and Jotaro nodded to each other, slowly creeping out of bed and over to the door. After slipping on their shoes, the two carefully opened the door. Suki's eyes widened as she watched a cavalcade of toy soldiers, dress-up dolls, and action figures march down the hall, each one carrying an ornament or cooperating to carry garland and lights. She couldn't help smiling as she watched the toys maneuver down the stairs one by one, careful to keep their bits and baubles intact as they descended to the lobby. Suki and Jotaro snuck after the small men all moving as a unit, until finally coming to the lobby.

 _Are these toys, or whoever's controlling them, really up to something bad?_ Suki thought.

As this thought occurred to her, the girl felt a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention to Jotaro. The man pointed over to the center of the lobby, where a small fir tree stood. Surprising the girl were the fact that the toys were actually working together to decorate this tree, ferrying their ornaments to different branches by passing them between one toy and the next and slowly maneuvering the lights and garland in and around the branches.

 _What…in the world…?_

"Merry Christmas!"

Suki jolted at the new voice, looking to her left to see the woman from before waving to her. The woman, still dressed in her uniform, bowed to the pair.

"Sorry for waking you at such a late hour. I'm Katherine K. Davis, a member of the Speedwagon Foundation. Mr. Joestar needed to check on some arrangements he wanted to set up in Egypt, so he called me here; however, he also requested that I help cheer up Miss Suki. Of course, I couldn't turn away after hearing what had happened to you today, so I thought that a small celebration would raise your spirits."

 _Mr. Joestar asked for this?_ Suki thought.

The girl smiled.

"So, this is the power of your Stand, then?"

The woman nodded.

"Yes, Little Drummer Boy allows me to control a collection of toys, a group I always keep on hand in case it would help in certain situations. Unfortunately, if more than two people, besides myself, look at the toys, I lose control and can't move them anymore. Hence why I pulled some strings so the lobby would be empty at this hour."

Suki turned to Jotaro.

"Did you know about this?"

"The old man told me what to do. Otherwise," He trailed off somewhat, pulling his hat down, "I might've done something that would make you sad."

The girl tilted her head with a disbelieving smile, as she shook her head.

"I doubt that."

The girl turned back to the tree, walking towards it. With the lights turned off in the lobby, the tree seemed to have an otherworldly glow, as the lights glinted off the shiny garland and reflected through and off of the glass ornaments. She watched as the toy soldiers moved like clockwork to place the star on the top of the tree, finally completing the decorations. Suki's eyes softened as she looked up and down the evergreen, committing every detail to memory.

"I really can't thank you enough," The girl expressed, clasping her hands in front of her chest, "I may not have been able to celebrate with my mom and brother this year…"

Suki turned her gaze to Jotaro and Katherine, who now stood beside him, the last remnants of tears hanging to the corners of her eyes.

"…But, this still ended up being a nice Christmas."

* * *

Waking up the next morning, Suki slowly cracked her eyes open. Strangely, she felt her hand closed around something under the sheets. Pulling up her hand, she saw she now held a small, clear box. Inside the box, she saw three differently wrapped, differently colored candies. She smiled softly, as she turned to the man sleeping behind her. The girl shuffled under the sheets carefully, so as not to wake him, as she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

His eyes opened and drifted to her as she made contact. Suki pulled back.

"Oh, you made it awkward."

"Fine, I'll just go back to sleep again," Jotaro replied, turning onto his side and pulling the covers up further.

"You're not gonna sleep if you know what's gonna happen!"

"Watch me."

The girl rolled her eyes as she moved out of bed and padded over to the bathroom.

"We need to get up, anyways, JoJo."

"Huh?"

The man sat up, a slightly confused look on his face, as what Suki had said slowly sank in.

"J-Jo-Jotaro…That's what I said," The girl said, turning away with flushed cheeks.

"You call Kakyoin, 'Nori.' I told you before, that you could call me 'JoJo.'"

"Nori told me outright that he wanted me to call him 'Noriaki,' and the short version just came from that. Besides," Suki said, looking down at her twiddling thumbs, "Those girls back in Japan called you that. I don't…want to remind you of them. I don't want you to be reminded of them."

"How…do you know that?"

"Michel…showed me a lot of things."

Suki felt her heart grow heavy. Talking had not been a common activity the day before, so not much time had been given to explaining the inner workings of Michel's Stand to everyone. Even so, even though she wasn't directly responsible for such an act, Suki finally understood exactly why she had begun to cry the previous night.

Not only had she been privy to the sad past of her mother and brother, but she had gone sifting through the closest memories of the people she called her friends. Things they had wanted to keep closely guarded, she had openly watched like movies with no hesitation. She had needed to find her friend, but how much necessity was there in watching every memory play through to the end.

"I'm sorry…"

The man sighed.

"Look, it's okay, just-"

"No, it's not okay!" The girl shouted back, "I was just a nosy bystander to what was happening to you and the others. I could've looked away from these things you wanted to keep secret, but I didn't. I saw what happened to you when you were small, and all I could do was stand by and watch! I couldn't do anything! I couldn't even save you from jumping into the ocean!"

Suki tried to steady her breathing and calm down, but found she couldn't.

"I keep saying I want to help you, but I keep overstepping my bounds. No one wants someone who just listens to someone's deepest darkest secrets and says, 'Well, it'll be okay soon, just wait it out.' I _want_ to help people, but I don't know anything about anything! All I know is what I've been taught by stupid fairy tales. Being carefree and acting dumb to the point of people questioning if I actually have a mental problem, what's the point if I can't make someone happier by acting like a fool? How far can sympathy go if there's no understanding behind it?"

Suki pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes.

"Fuck, dammit…Just stop crying already, just _stop_ …" She shook her head, "I know, it's annoying to you for me to cry so much, I'm sorry."

The girl turned her gaze upward and met Jotaro's eyes, as he stood in front of her. She furiously tried to wipe at her eyes. The man pulled her hands away from her face. He looked into her eyes, like a researcher analyzing a specimen.

"Your brother…He's got you backed up, doesn't he?" _Backed up?_

" _Don't change."_

" _Don't ever change."_

 _That's the mantra he put in my head._

 _He was happy when I was happy. Of course, I noticed that much._

 _He was sad when I was sad. I noticed that too._

 _So, I stopped being sad around him._

 _..._

 _He spent so much time with me…_

...

Suki slowly nodded.

...

Jotaro pulled her closer, uncharacteristically gentle as he did so.

"Don't hold it in anymore."

"Jotaro…" She sobbed, "I don't…I don't want to see you jump again…Please, don't jump…"

"I won't jump. It won't happen."

Suki cried the hardest she had in years. Every once in a while, she would apologize for crying so much. Jotaro would always tell her not to apologize, because she wasn't doing anything wrong.

Later on, Jotaro told her that he hadn't meant it, when he said her crying was annoying. He said, at the time, he couldn't word how confused he was any other way.

* * *

Suki enjoyed the Egyptian sun hitting her skin, as she and Kakyoin, Polnareff, and Abdul waited patiently for Joseph and Jotaro to finish a phone call.

"Let's get where we're going, before it gets too dark!" Kakyoin called to the two men in front of the telephone, as Jotaro hung up.

"If you don't hurry up, we're gonna leave you behind!" Polnareff added.

Suki rolled her eyes as she jumped out of the car to walk with the two men back to the vehicle.

"You didn't have to meet up with us, Suki," Joseph explained.

"But, I felt like it!"

"It's less than ten yards away," Jotaro added.

"I _felt_ like it!" Suki shrugged, turning and walking back with the pair.

Jotaro took her by the shoulder, stopping her, as Joseph walked on. The girl tilted her head in silent question.

"That's new," He said, pointing at the ribbon in her hair.

Suki smiled and touched the fabric gently.

"Nori got it for me. He told me it looked cute, just like he guessed it would."

"It does."

...

Suki's cheeks flushed.

"Thank you...JoJo."

His eyebrows raised slightly, a red tinge coloring his face. He pulled his hat down.

"Good grief."

"Are you two coming or what?" Polnareff asked loudly.

The two turned to each other and nodded, before joining the group in the car.

* * *

 _Egypt: a nation that is 97% desert. But, thanks to the blessings of the Nile, beautiful, fertile green spreads all the way down its river banks. As well as the culture of the ancient Egyptians, Egypt is also home to Persian, Greek, Roman, Muslim, and Arabian cultures. It is a blended nation. In this eternal land, what misfortunes await Jotaro and the others on their journey?_

As the green off-road vehicle drove along through the desert sands to their next destination, Suki sat in the backseat, staring at her star-shaped pendant once more. Clutching the star in a tight fist, she let the last remnants of her tears crawl down her face, as she smiled at the horizon in view.

 _Whatever may happen, I'll keep on walking, with my head held high._

 _I'll look up as I walk, but my tears can fall all the same._

* * *

Chapter Fifteen – Walk Like an Egyptian

-END—

* * *

 **Please check out badlydrawnkidjoot on tumblr for the inspiration for some of the scenes in Jotaro's memory. I contacted them, but they didn't get back to me in time, and I was already rushing to get this done. herzspalter on tumblr had already agreed to allowing me to use their comics for inspiration for content I will allude to in the epilogue, so I thought it would be alright. I do need to give credit where credit is due, and I really should have explained myself in the first release of this chapter. "-_- Please, do check out both of these artists, I love the works both of them put out!**


	19. Season 1 Epilogue

Meanwhile, somewhere between Aswan and Kom Ombo…

In a hotel named "Sweeter than Fiction," the quiet bar, separate from the booming, shaking mixers of the club across the building, was dimly lit with an elegant atmosphere. The velvet-seated bar stools sat empty, save for one single blond man in a bellhop uniform.

" _Vieux Carré, s'il vous plait, Mademoiselle._ "

"Yeah, yeah, you're lucky you're cute," The bartender shot back, rolling her eyes. She turned and began to gather the bottles from the upper and lower shelves, her tight black dress shirt and short red skirt leaving nothing to the imagination as even her garters flashed over her shapely thighs. A few stray hairs fell into her face out of her loose brown bun. She blew them back with a puff of air as she began mixing the rye whiskey, Cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine liqueur, and bitters.

Thankfully, business in the hotel had been slow that day, so the front desk worker of the hotel was able to swap spots with the usual bartender in order to catch up with an old friend. Or, so she had thought. When she had been told "Lyn wants to talk to you," she hadn't thought that her old college friend would end up sending her snarky, albeit kind of adorable, boyfriend.

"Alright, so spill. What do you want with a gal like me?" The woman asked as she poured the ingredients of the drink into a cocktail shaker.

"I contain no desire to perform activities with you. I am merely here to deliver a message from my close acquaintance."

"Uh-huh. Well, maybe if you quit grinnin' at me like that, _then_ I'll believe you."

"Are you referring to my facial structure? I cannot alter something so complex, for I am not a doctor."

 _Wordsmith, huh_ … The woman thought, _well, that would certainly get Lyn's attention._

"What's this message, then?"

The blond man cleared his throat and began to speak, his eyes glinting in the dim lighting.

"In just a few days' time, the man of your dreams will come through your front doors. Never give up on him."

The man blinked three times before locking eyes with the skeptical stare of the bartender.

"That is the message I wished to deliver."

The woman raised an eyebrow. She waited for a moment, to see if the man was yanking her chain. He gave no indication that what he said was a joke. So, she sighed.

"Look, hon, for the past five years, inside and out of this hotel here," She punctuated her point by tapping on the mahogany bar counter, "I've seen all kinds, probably more than you have in your entire life, sonny boy. Deadbeat dads, geeks with no lives to speak of, FBI agents, clowns, and I've even spotted a few trannies walkin' around, tryin' to keep a low profile. This hotel gets quite a bit of attention as a…" She cleared her throat, "'luxury hotspot,' despite being basically in buttfuck nowhere when compared to the likes of Cairo and Giza in Egypt."

The woman poured the contents of the cocktail shaker into an ice-filled glass, accenting the drink with a lemon twit. Picking up the glass by the rim with her elegantly manicured fingers, and swirling the drink, she leaned forward on the counter, shamelessly displaying her ample cleavage.

"What reason do you have that I'll manage to find my one in a million among more than millions? Hm?"

The man placed his palm on the bottom of the glass, stopping the movement abruptly without spilling the contents. He laid his fingers one by one on the glass, just shy of each of the woman's long fingernails.

"I have no proficiency in fortune-telling. What I know to be telling you is fact. This _will_ occur; however, whether you believe me or not, that is _your_ decision."

…

The woman slowly let go of the glass, allowing the blond man to take it. She sighed as she pulled her hand back, while he took a sip of his beverage.

"I do have to wonder what Lyn sees in you, Mr…?"

The blond man held out his hand, straightforward and without a façade of joviality.

"Houston. Whit Houston."

The woman took his hand and shook it.

"Talia Swift."

Whit cocked an eyebrow.

"Lyn had called you _Meguro_ before, not Swift, if I recall correctly…"

Talia folded her arms and shook her head.

"Might be a bit too complicated for someone so young, Whitty boy. Besides, I don't feel like talkin' about it."

Whit shrugged.

"As for your question… I couldn't tell you myself," The blond man gazed contemplatively into his glass of alcohol, "Perhaps she just saw me as another piece in her puzzle."

"'Saw?'" Talia asked, frowning.

Whit smiled back at her.

"As another person once explained to me, it could in all probability be a hair too complex for a person who is so young."

Talia took a long blink before rolling her eyes and pushing off of the counter.

"Whatever, hon. Just leave your pay on the counter when you're done."

In the quiet bar, Whit continued to stare into his _Vieux Carré._ He took another, long drink as he sorted through his thoughts.

 _Another puzzle piece has been set into place,_ he pondered, _much is still to be done, if I wish to reach the calamity-less conclusion._

The man briefly glanced at the clock before finishing his drink and leaving his pay on the table.

 _I cannot meander here for long,_ he thought, exiting the building with a determined glint in his eye, _after all…_

… _When the clock strikes twelve, no one is safe._

-TO BE CONTINUED-

* * *

 **Thank you all so much for reading my work thus far! I've decided to split this saga into two parts, much like the canon material it is based off of, so you can expect a Sukiyaki Season 2 when the hiatus I spoke of ends. When it will end, I am unsure; however, just because I am on hiatus from the main story does not mean I will be leaving you all high and dry without content. I have some ideas in mind for oneshots or non-canon material that I think would be fun for you guys to read. I do not have a set schedule for these, but I will keep these in a separate collection of chapters for your convenience.**

 **Again, I honestly can't thank you enough for finding interest in what I wrote. It just started as a bunch of ideas that I _needed_ to put to paper, but I never expected to get the time of day from you guys, much less all the kudos and comments you left! Thank you, thank you, thank you!**

 **However, these pages and pages of content would not have turned out nearly as well as they did without the help of a few editors by my side.**

 **First, is my editor-in-chief, AthensTheGreat, on deviantart. She makes really cool art that you should check out! I'll link her at the bottom, just type the link into the searchbar and eliminate the spaces, put ".com" after "deviantart" and ".net" after "fanfiction", and then put a slash between "com" and "art" if "art" is in the link.**

 **Second, my chief editor, and yes I do treat these synonyms as different roles, WindSymphony, actually has a JoJo fanfiction of her own that she is currently working on, ReBirth. She has created her own cast of characters alongside canon characters, but from a different angle, one of whom actually made a cameo in this chapter. We've actually started linking our stories together, so you'll definitely be seeing more of her characters in my fic and mine in hers. I actually really like what she has come up with so far, so you should give her work a look! A link to her page and the first chapter of ReBirth are at the end of this message.**

 **Lastly, and certainly not least, is a man I owe a lot to in terms of the actual quality of my story, SquirreLJ, on deviantart. He may be a lot more critical than my other editors, but his critical eye has enabled me to see and fix things that I never would have thought of. He actually isn't a fan of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (tis blasphemy, says I XD), so I really have to hand it to him for being a good sport and helping me out. I, in turn, have been reading an original story that he wrote collaboratively with a friend, Bwa196, known as Ultima Praedator, which I will link, in addition to his account. Ultima Praedator is a first-person, action-packed, sci-fi/fantasy series written as a collection of mission reports that mature significantly as the story progresses.** **It's a long and wild ride, but I highly recommend it for its creativity, engaging fight choreography, and overall sense of fun and intrigue. Tonight, New Year's Eve, I am actually performing a simul-release with him alongside the Season 3 finale of his work. Links for the first chapter of Ultima Praedator and SquirreLJ's account will be at the end.**

 **If you would like to ask me questions about this story or events to come, you can PM me if so wish, but I also have a tumblr account that you can check out, linked below. I have also received requests to draw my characters or write fanfiction including them, and it's actually really flattering to be asked for this! Please do let me know if you make anything, I would love to see it!**

 **Thanks again for all of the support, and I'll see you all next time with whatever comes next! Happy New Year, and take care.**

 **-BlueBow**

AthensTheGreat's Profile: athensthegreat . deviantart

WindSymphony's Profile: www . fanfiction / u / 1631509 / WindSymphony

ReBirth Chapter 1: www . fanfiction / s / 12723351 / 1 / ReBirth

SquirreLJ's Profile: squirrelj . deviantart

Ultima Praedator Operation Codename Hive-Storm: bwa196 . deviantart art / Operation - Codename - Hive - Storm- 316410408

Class Chart for Ultima Praedator (recommended) : www . deviantart art / Ultima - Praedator - Class - Chart - 333576393

My tumblr account : bluebow501 . tumblr . com

 **P.S. I, in no way, own JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, nor do I own any of the franchises I have referenced over the course of this story listed below:**

 **Persona 4; Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney; Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney; ARMS; Professor Layton; Metal Gear Solid; Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair; various music artists (their works, for the most part, included) current and not, including but not limited to Kyu Sakamoto** **,** **Whitney Houston, Ellie Goulding, Panic! at the Disco, Nicki Minaj, and Michael Jackson; Persona 4: Dancing All Night; _Jurassic Park_ ; _One Punch Man_ ; _Tom and Jerry_ ; Sherlock Holmes; James Bond; Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward; Indiana Jones; _Steins;Gate_ ; Persona 4: Arena Ultimax; _Toy Story 2_ ; Batman; Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice; Yu-Gi-Oh**


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